David Jolly’s campaign announced Thursday that state Sen. Brian Nathan is endorsing Jolly’s bid for governor.
Nathan said he backed Jolly because of a shared focus on the economic pressures facing Floridians, including housing, health care and insurance costs. In return, Jolly described Nathan as a labor leader and advocate for working families and said he believes Jolly is best positioned to lead a statewide Democratic ticket.
“Families across Florida are feeling the pressure of rising costs, from housing to health care to insurance, and they want leaders who are focused on solutions,” Nathan said in a statement. “David Jolly is doing the work, visiting every community, and talking about what people are actually going through. I’m proud to support him, and I’m ready to run alongside him to deliver real results for Florida families.”
Jolly, a former congressman, said that he and Nathan share a similar approach to campaigning and governing, centered on listening to voters and addressing affordability issues.
“Brian and I believe in the same simple idea: you talk to every voter, you listen to what they’re going through, and you focus on solving the problems that matter most,” Jolly said.
Earlier this month, Jolly’s campaign said it raised $1 million in the days following Democrats’ March 24 special election victories in Florida, part of a broader fundraising push that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate says has generated more than $5 million since he entered the race last year.
According to the campaign, Jolly has raised $2 million since Jan. 1. The campaign said that period marked its strongest fundraising stretch so far and its third consecutive quarter of growth. Jolly, a former U.S. representative from Pinellas County, launched his bid for governor in June 2025.
“Floridians are hungry for leadership focused on lowering costs and bringing people together to solve Florida’s urgent problems. This outpouring of support shows that donors across our state and the country recognize Florida is in play and that we are building a formidable campaign capable of winning this race,” said Jolly.
The campaign said the post-election fundraising increase followed the special election wins of state Rep. Emily Gregory and Sen. Nathan. Gregory later endorsed Jolly, adding to a list of endorsemnts that includes Sen. Shevrin Jones.
The campaign also said donors from all 67 Florida counties and all 50 states have contributed. Jolly has centered his candidacy on affordability issues, including housing, healthcare and education costs, while also calling for a shift away from the state’s recent culture-war politics.