Ex-GOP Rep. David Jolly launches Dem campaign for Florida governor

Former Rep. David Jolly is launching a campaign for Florida governor as a Democrat, hoping to staunch the state's lurch from purple to solidly red, Axios has learned.Why it matters: The onetime Republican, who previously weighed an independent bid for the role in 2022, believes he can succeed where so many other Democrats have failed."Different race, different cycle, different candidate," he told Axios in an interview. "This is a race with national implications, because if we win, we will have transformed national politics.""We will have stopped MAGA in Florida, and the White House now runs through Florida in 2028," he said.State of play: Jolly is the first Democrat to throw their hat into the ring, and could be the most high-profile candidate to run with Rep. Jared Moskowitz taking himself out of contention.On the Republican side, the GOP establishment and President Trump have coalesced around Rep. Byron Donalds.Still, Democrats in the state hope that another contender — particularly former Rep. Matt Gaetz — jumps in and makes it a bloody battle.What they're saying: Despite his confidence that national trends will buoy Democrats in the Sunshine State, Jolly said he's not solely relying on anti-Trump sentiment.He is targeting affordability, education and corruption as key issues of his campaign. "The race ... is not about Donald Trump," he said. "It's not even about Ron DeSantis. It's about where he's leaving the state."Jolly told Axios he wants to help build the haggard state Democratic Party. "You will see us do that almost like happened in Virginia over the last five years," he said.That's where he thinks his past Republican registration will provide an advantage. "We have to invite in independents and common sense Republicans," he said.Yes, but: This strategy has been tried before, to less-than-stellar results.Former Rep. Charlie Crist, another Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, ran against DeSantis in 2022 and lost by nearly 20 percentage points.Whether Jolly can turn the tide and buck Florida's consistent rightward trend since 2016 is still an open question.Go deeper: Florida gets redder

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