Former U.S. Representative David Jolly, a former Republican and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, announced Thursday he will run for Florida governor as a Democrat in 2026.

Jolly, who represented a Tampa Bay-area district from 2014 to 2017, said he will campaign on issues such as affordability, public education, and access to health care. His platform includes investing in public schools, and creating a state catastrophe fund aimed at driving down rising property insurance premiums. He also called for repealing laws that shield the governor’s travel and visitor logs from public view.

“Our state is in crisis — not just a crisis of policy, not right versus left, but a crisis of right versus wrong,” Jolly wrote on X in his campaign announcement. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Once a fixture in Republican politics, Jolly left the party in 2018 and formally registered as a Democrat in April. His announcement follows weeks of travel around the state, where he has held town halls and met with voters.

The Capitolist reported in April that Jolly added Eric Hyers, a seasoned Democrat operative who has found success electing left-of-center Governors in red states, to his team. Most recently, Hyers helped guide Democrat Governor Andy Beshear to a 5-point victory in Kentucky, a state Donald Trump won by 30 points in 2024.

Jolly was first elected to Congress in 2014, following the death of longtime Congressman Bill Young.  Once a model for Republicans who could win in battleground seats, Jolly ultimately found himself at odds with Republican House leaders after he worked with 60 Minutes to sneak hidden cameras into the National Republican Congressional Committee headquarters.

Jolly ran for reelection to Congress in 2016 and was defeated by former Florida Governor, and notorious party switcher, Charlie Crist.  Since leaving Congress, Jolly has been a fixture on MSNBC offering political commentary critical of President Donald Trump and Republicans in general.  He also holds the title of Executive Vice President at Tampa-based lobbying firm Shumaker Advisors.

Other candidates in the gubernatorial race include Trump-endorsed Republican US Congressman Byron Donalds and state Senator Jason Pizzo, running as an independent.