Democrat gubernatorial candidate David Jolly announced an expanded statewide leadership team for his campaign on Monday, adding a slate of political, business, and community figures to guide policy development and outreach across Florida.
Attorney Sean Pittman and State Senator Tina Polsky will serve as campaign co-chairs, joining existing chair Mitchell Berger of Fort Lauderdale and co-chair Mike Abrams of Miami. Pittman, a Tallahassee-based attorney and former advisor to Andrew Gillum’s 2018 campaign, and Polsky, who represents portions of Palm Beach and Broward counties, will lead efforts on affordability, education, and economic opportunity.
“David Jolly is everywhere across our state, listening, leading, and fighting for every Floridian,” said Polsky. “He’s proving that politics can still be about solving problems, not scoring points. Jolly’s real, commonsense solutions are exactly what Tallahassee needs to get behind right now,” while Pittman added that Jolly is “is focused on what keeps Floridians up at night—the cost of living, the cost of housing, the cost of insurance, and whether our kids will be able to build a future here. He’s the only candidate talking about solutions to make Florida affordable again—and he’s building a coalition that looks like the state we all love. I’m proud to stand with him.”
The campaign also named additional advisors across issue areas. Gayle Andrews, a longtime Capitol journalist and media consultant, will serve as senior campaign advisor. Rev. R.B. Holmes, pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, was appointed faith leadership chair. Laurence Humphries, a member of the Florida A&M University Foundation Board, and Suzanne Lewis, former University of West Florida Board of Trustees chair, will help shape higher education policy.
Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May and Pinellas County Commissioner René Flowers will co-lead the campaign’s community development and economic empowerment initiatives, while Jacksonville NAACP President Isaiah Rumlin joins as senior advisor on civil rights.
Jolly, a former U.S. congressman from Pinellas County, was the first Republican in Congress to refuse to endorse Donald Trump in 2016 and later left the party, saying he could no longer support its direction.
Launching his campaign in June, Jolly has held more than 80 town halls and community events across the state. His campaign has focused on building a coalition of Democrats, independents, and moderate Republicans, positioning him as a centrist alternative in a state that has trended solidly Republican in recent elections.
Last month, Jolly’s campaign announced that it has raised more than $2 million since launching. The campaign reported collecting nearly $1 million in the most recent fundraising quarter, covering July 1 through September 30, with contributions coming from donors across Florida and all 50 states. Jolly’s fundraising total includes money raised directly by his campaign and through Florida 2026, a political committee supporting his effort.
