HomePolitics

Florida GOP Targets David Jolly Over Transgender Youth Sports In New Ad Campaign

The Republican Party of Florida launched a new digital advertisement focusing on David Jolly’s past remarks regarding transgender athletes participating in youth sports.

According to the party’s announcement, the campaign centers on policies regarding athletic competition, locker rooms, and private facilities for female athletes across the state.

Party officials cited previous statements made by Jolly concerning transgender participation in youth athletics. In the release, the party said Jolly suggested it is a “fundamental and constitutional right” for transgender individuals to compete in categories aligned with their gender identity, described Republican efforts to restrict participation as “pretty disgusting,” and stated that officials should “allow them to play in youth sports.”

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power stated that the organization remains focused on maintaining separate categories based on biological sex in youth athletics and school facilities.

Former GOP Rep. David Jolly
David Jolly

“Florida Republicans will never stop fighting to protect our girls’ and women’s sports. We will not stand by while a biological male takes a girl’s spot on the podium or makes her feel unsafe in her own locker room,” Power said in a statement accompanying the ad rollout. “Florida’s daughters should never have to wonder who was willing to fight for them.”

Power also framed the issue in terms of student safety and fairness in athletic competition.

“Florida Republicans have stood strong for our girls — defending their sports, their privacy, their bathrooms, and their safe spaces,” Power added. “I have a daughter. And as she grows up, I want her to know the podium she earns is hers, the locker room she walks into is safe, and that no one gets to take that from her because a politician like David Jolly decided her rights and safety were negotiable. I refuse to let my daughter, or anyone’s daughter, grow up afraid or feel like their spot was taken from them. That is why we will never stop fighting.”

The new ad is part of the party’s ongoing digital messaging efforts across Florida platforms.

READ: Florida Targets The New York Times In Records Showdown Over Editorial Oversight

Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.

Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.