U.S. Representative Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign moved quickly to dismiss the newly unveiled Florida Democratic ticket, labeling the pairing of David Jolly and Gwen Graham as a throwback to a failed political era.
The pushback came immediately after Jolly, a former Republican congressman turned political commentator, officially announced Graham as his 2026 running mate. Graham is a former U.S. representative and federal education official.
Gates McGavick, the communications director for the Donalds for Governor campaign, released a statement from Naples downplaying the political threat of the new Democratic alliance.
“This might have been an interesting ticket 10 years ago — same old failed politicians, same old failed liberal agenda, same losing result in November,” McGavick said. He added that Donalds’ campaign momentum is currently surging as they travel the state to “defend the Florida dream.”
The Democratic pairing represents an effort to chip away at the substantial lead Florida Republicans have built over the last decade, with the GOP now holding a voter registration advantage of more than 1.5 million. Jolly served in Congress as a Republican representing Pinellas County from 2014 to 2017 before breaking with the party and registering as a Democrat.
Graham represented a North Florida district for a single term, ran for governor in 2018, and later served as an assistant secretary in President Joe Biden’s Department of Education. She is also the daughter of the late Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham.
The Donalds campaign’s swift reaction mirrored a broader offensive from the state’s Republican leadership. Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power issued a separate statement using harsh personal labels, calling the duo “The Chameleon and the Nepo Baby.”
Power accused Jolly of shifting his political principles for career advancement and criticized Graham for her time in the Biden administration, pointing to federal education policies regarding gender identity in sports and parental roles in schools—topics that have been central to Florida’s recent political debates under Republican control.
“Floridians don’t want higher taxes, government overreach, or the failed policies that have devastated blue states,” Power said. “They want the freedom, prosperity, and common-sense leadership that Republicans have delivered.”
The double-barreled response from both the state party leadership and Donalds’ front-running campaign underscores how quickly the 2026 gubernatorial race is taking shape. Donalds, who currently represents Southwest Florida in Congress, leads early polling for the Republican primary scheduled for August 18. Meanwhile, the Jolly-Graham campaign is aiming to build a broad coalition of moderate Democrats and independent voters to reverse a long string of statewide Democratic losses.
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