Donalds rips opponent’s ‘complete 180’ as Dem’s own 2016 words come back to haunt him in tightening gov race

Florida Republican congressman and gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds is accusing his Democratic rival, former congressman David Jolly, of switching political positions for convenience rather than conviction as their race tightens. Donalds told Fox News Digital that "the shift in positions by David Jolly is not because of personal conviction, it is purely because of political convenience." The line echoes one Jolly himself used in 2016, when he ran as a Republican against then-Democrat Charlie Crist and accused Crist of changing his abortion stance only after switching parties, calling it convenience rather than conviction.

Jolly has since reversed course himself. As a Republican in Congress, he argued that life begins with conception, worked to strip funding from Planned Parenthood, backed legislation establishing fetal personhood, and voted for a 20-week federal abortion ban. Running for governor now as a Democrat, he supports abortion rights, wants Roe-era protections written into law, and has pledged to block any bill that would limit abortion access if elected. His immigration positions have shifted as well, notable given that Florida has backed Donald Trump in each of the last three presidential elections, with his immigration agenda motivating many voters there. Jolly's stance on offshore drilling in Florida has also changed over the years. Governor Ron DeSantis has endorsed Donalds along with the rest of the Florida Republican slate in the governor's race.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →