Former Republican Congressman David Jolly, now a registered Democrat, is running for governor of Florida in 2026. Jolly officially announced his bid Thursday morning, saying it’s time for change in the Sunshine State. “I believe we're in the midst of a historic affordability crisis that is reducing the access to housing for Floridians across the state, regardless of the community they live in, regardless of their walk of life and regardless of their voter registration. And I don't think Republicans are doing enough about it in Tallahassee,” Jolly said. Jolly cited economic concerns as key motivators for entering the race, including the state’s rising property insurance and utility rates, a strained voucher system and affordability issues facing families and retirees. “We’re kind of tired of fighting culture wars,” he said. “We think it’s time to fight for lower property insurance, to fight the affordability crisis, to fight for reinvestment in public schools,” Jolly said in an interview with 10 Tampa Bay in April. The former Tampa Bay-area representative believes there is a viable path for a Democrat to win statewide, despite the Republican Party’s massive 1.2 million registered voter advantage and big wins in the last several elections. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/david-jolly-running-florida-governor/67-fe87050c-fde3-4f88-b4a0-c264ed4f4a48