David Jolly

Taxes & spending Leans disagree· stated position

Jolly says tax relief must be paired with revenue to fund services ('we need the math to work') and has criticized Republican leaders as 'willing to starve critically needed services in the name of tax relief.' His agenda prioritizes new spending on public schools, teacher pay and Medicaid expansion rather than broad tax cuts.

"We need the math to work."

Property taxes Leans disagree· stated position

Jolly opposes eliminating homestead property taxes without replacement revenue and says the 2026 Amendment 3 push puts 'a very popular amendment to repeal property taxes without an answer for the needed revenue' before voters, which he says would create 'a great crisis in the state.' He instead proposes 'generational property tax reform' centered on a new homestead exemption for first-time homebuyers to offset Save Our Homes caps.

"Republicans put in front of voters a very popular amendment to repeal property taxes without an answer for the needed revenue, and that then creates a great crisis in the state."

Property insurance Strongly agrees· stated position

Jolly proposes a state catastrophic insurance fund that would take hurricane/wind coverage out of the private market, which he says could reduce homeowners' insurance costs by 60% to 70%. He disputes the Donalds campaign's claim that the plan means a $1,000 'hurricane tax,' saying no detailed plan with such a charge has been published.

"It's all lies... it does not include an additional $1,000 tax for homeowners. No governor is going to do that."

Housing affordability Strongly agrees· stated position

Jolly's affordability plan calls for expanded affordable-housing programs and renter protections, a first-time homebuyer homestead exemption, and no-interest state-backed loans to help condo associations and owners pay special assessments and structural-repair costs; he ties housing costs to property insurance and proposes a state catastrophe fund.

Immigration Strongly disagrees· stated position

Jolly says that if the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility is still operating when he takes office he would move to close it on his first day and return the land to Miami-Dade County. He would suspend or not require the state's 287(g) agreements with ICE pending stronger due-process protections, leaving participation to local law enforcement, and says enforcement should target criminal activity rather than treating immigrant communities with suspicion.

Abortion Strongly agrees· stated position

Jolly says he voted for the 2024 Amendment 4 and would work to enact its language (no restriction on abortion before viability, or when needed to protect the patient's health) into law, replacing the six-week ban. He argues the governor should act on amendments that won more than 50% of the vote.

"I voted for Amendment 4. As governor, I would work to enact Amendment 4 into law."

Guns Strongly agrees· stated position

Jolly's gun platform calls for banning the sale of assault weapons, universal background checks on every transfer, exploring firearm licensing, and preserving and expanding the 2018 post-Parkland red-flag law and 21 purchase age. He says he would test the governor's authority to challenge the court ruling allowing open carry.

"The Parkland gun safety law was bipartisan, it's supported by law enforcement, and it should stay in place."

Health care Strongly agrees· stated position

Jolly proposes expanding Medicaid to cover roughly 266,000 Floridians in the coverage gap and scaling up direct primary care in all 67 counties through community health centers and county clinics; he has also said the state should support ACA tax credits and rural hospitals.

Education & school choice Leans disagree· stated position

Jolly says he would not end Florida's universal voucher program but would means-test it and apply public-school rules to private schools that take state money, including barring tuition increases above the voucher amount and barring schools from turning away students with disabilities. He proposes a 30% public-teacher pay raise funded by tourist-development taxes.

Environment & water Strongly agrees· stated position

Jolly supports Everglades restoration, water-quality improvement and climate-resilience investment, and says he would issue an immediate moratorium on new data centers on day one, citing environmental impact, public health and real-estate effects ('let them sue if they want to').

Growth & development Leans agree· stated position

Jolly backs home rule, saying local zoning, labor and environmental decisions should belong to local governments without Tallahassee preemption, and he proposes a statewide moratorium on data-center development.

Marijuana Leans agree· stated position

Jolly says he personally voted against the 2024 recreational-marijuana amendment (Amendment 3) but, because it won more than 50% of the vote, he would as governor move toward regulated adult-use legalization; he was the only major candidate in a May 2026 survey to support legalization.

"I think the governor's role is to represent the majority of the state, and the majority of the state asked for it, and I think that we should do it."

Elections & voting Leans agree· stated position

Jolly's platform says direct democracy 'should be easier, not harder,' that the governor should lead efforts to enact voter-approved amendments that clear 50% (he cites the 2018 voting-rights restoration amendment among initiatives Floridians passed), and that the state should support implementation of successful local voter initiatives. No specific statement on mail voting or drop boxes was found.

Gender identity laws Leans disagree· stated position

Jolly has defended parents' right to make decisions about gender-affirming care for their children and supported communities' rainbow crosswalks, and PolitiFact found a Donalds ad deceptively edited his remarks on the topic. He told WLRN he does not think athletes assigned male at birth should compete in girls' sports but that the governor should not impose sweeping restrictions on youth leagues.

"Look, if a 10- or 12-year-old soccer league in the community has a coed team, I don't think the governor should be throwing a flag on the field."

Energy & utilities Strongly agrees· stated position

After the Public Service Commission approved FPL's roughly $7 billion rate increase with a 10.95% return on equity, Jolly proposed capping the profit margin Florida's major electric utilities may earn at the national average (about 9.7%), reforming campaign finance to reduce utility influence, and 'requiring greater integration of clean energy technologies into our public utilities.' He says regulators and the Legislature have been 'captured' by the industry.

Trump administration Strongly disagrees· stated position

Jolly, who as a Republican congressman urged Trump to leave the 2016 race after his proposed Muslim ban, left the GOP in 2018 and became a Trump critic as an MSNBC commentator; in the 2026 race he calls Donalds 'Donald Trump's guy' and challenges him to defend the Trump economy.

Veterans Leans agree· stated position

Jolly lists 'Restoring Services for Our Veterans' as a platform plank and says he wants 'a government that actually serves seniors, veterans, and those in need'; no detailed veterans-benefits proposal was found.