BS BULLETIN:
- Byron Donalds is reaching back to Democrat David Jolly’s days as a Republican congressman to attack his positions in Florida’s governor’s race.
- Donalds says Jolly has performed a “complete 180” on issues including guns, abortion and immigration.
- Jolly openly says he has changed politically but disputes Donalds’ characterization of several of his positions.
If you’re going to switch political parties, somebody eventually digs up the old tape. Byron Donalds is making sure Florida voters see plenty of David Jolly’s.
The Republican nominee for governor is hammering Jolly, his Democratic opponent and a former Republican congressman, over positions Jolly held when he was seeking re-election to Congress a decade ago.
“David Jolly has done a complete 180,” Donalds told Fox News Digital.
Donalds pointed to Jolly’s past positions on guns, abortion and immigration as evidence that the Democrat running for governor in 2026 is substantially different from the Republican who represented Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
Jolly isn’t exactly pretending his political biography doesn’t exist.
He was elected to Congress as a Republican, left the GOP in 2018, became an independent and later joined the Democratic Party.
When he launched his gubernatorial campaign, Jolly told Fox News that he had “grown” and “changed,” while maintaining that some of his core positions — including support for gun restrictions, same-sex marriage, action on climate change and campaign-finance reform — were already present during his Republican years.
That hasn’t stopped Donalds from reaching for the receipts.
On guns, Fox reports Donalds’ campaign highlighted Jolly’s 2016 campaign materials saying he supported the Second Amendment while also backing certain gun-control measures.
Jolly today supports significantly stronger firearm restrictions, including an assault-weapons ban.
Donalds also attacked Jolly over abortion, pointing to his past description of himself as personally pro-life.
Jolly has since said his position evolved and has campaigned as a supporter of abortion rights.
Immigration provides another line of attack.
Donalds accused Jolly of moving left from positions he held as a Republican congressman.
Jolly, meanwhile, has criticized Trump administration immigration policies and has argued for an approach that distinguishes between criminals and otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants.
The argument lands in an unusual governor’s race because both candidates have political histories their opponent is eager to use.
Jolly’s transition from Republican congressman to Democratic gubernatorial nominee is central to Donalds’ attack.
Donalds, meanwhile, has faced questions this week after prominent references to President Donald Trump disappeared from his redesigned campaign website.
Donalds says he remains aligned with Trump and isn’t distancing himself from the president. His current campaign biography still prominently identifies him as a “2024 Trump Surrogate.”
The candidates are also fighting over property taxes, insurance, education and Florida’s affordability problems as the Nov. 3 election approaches.
At appearances Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, both pushed back against how the other’s campaign has portrayed their positions.
But Donalds clearly thinks Jolly’s old Republican record gives him another weapon.
After all, opposition research is considerably easier when your opponent spent years making the case for the other party.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Fox News — Donalds rips opponent’s ‘complete 180’ as 2016 words resurface
- Fox News — David Jolly launches Democratic bid for Florida governor
- CBS Miami — Donalds and Jolly outline differences on taxes, insurance and affordability
- WLRN/WFSU — Fact-checking Byron Donalds and David Jolly
- CBS News — Donalds says he still stands with Trump after website changes
