Donalds Accuses Opponent Jolly of Political Expedience in Tight Florida Governor Race

Republican candidate Byron Donalds is targeting his Democratic opponent, David Jolly, over alleged shifts in political positions and party affiliation, drawing parallels to themes from a 2016 congressional race. Donalds accuses Jolly of changing his stances on issues such as abortion, immigration, and offshore drilling for political convenience.

"The shift in positions by David Jolly is not because of personal conviction, it is purely because of political convenience," Donalds told Fox News Digital. He highlighted Jolly's "complete 180" on various issues, stating that the people of Florida cannot trust Jolly's "flip-flopping."

Donalds pointed to Jolly's evolution on abortion rights. As a Republican, Jolly expressed a "life begins at conception" stance, supported defunding Planned Parenthood, and co-sponsored fetal-personhood legislation. He also voted for a federal 20-week abortion ban. Now running as a Democrat, Jolly describes himself as "pro-choice," supports codifying Roe v. Wade, and has stated he would veto legislation restricting abortion access as governor.

Jolly's views on immigration have also reportedly shifted. While previously campaigning on securing the border and supporting tighter screening for refugees, he now advocates for more open policies for those seeking work or asylum, and has called the link between immigration and crime "gross," "immoral," and "wrong."

Regarding healthcare, Donalds noted Jolly's past opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when he served in Congress, contrasting it with his current stated support for expanding the ACA in Florida.

Donalds also raised concerns about Jolly's actions following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Within a year of the spill, Jolly's lobbying firm represented a client advocating for legislation that could expand offshore drilling. Jolly acknowledged attending a meeting where the bill was discussed, a point PolitiFact rated as "Mostly False" when Jolly claimed he had "never lobbied for offshore drilling."

"Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of America, David Jolly went and became a lobbyist for more oil drilling off the coast of Florida, that is a fact," Donalds stated. "What we're seeing is a history of somebody who does everything possible, will say whatever, will be paid by whomever that are only in the interest of David Jolly."

The race has also seen disputes over debate scheduling, with Donalds agreeing to multiple proposed debates while Jolly has reportedly ruled out participating in debates this cycle. "Now he's ducking debates," Donalds said. "He won't debate me because he knows that on a debate stage, I will hold him accountable for these things."

Jolly, conversely, has focused his campaign on issues such as data centers and has criticized Donalds for prioritizing cultural battles over addressing Florida's rising costs for housing, insurance, and healthcare. The RealClearPolitics average of polls shows Donalds with a narrow lead in the increasingly competitive race.