Jolly tests Florida's status as conservative stronghold in governor's race against Donalds

Floridians go to the polls Tuesday to pick their next governor, and the contest between Republican Congressman Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly is a gauge of whether the state's rightward drift has staying power. No Democrat has taken the office since Lawton Chiles in 1994. Jolly, a onetime Republican congressman from Tampa who changed parties, has pitched himself as a centrist who can steer Florida past the culture battles promoted by outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to ABC News.

Donalds, who represents part of southwest Florida, secured the GOP nomination with President Donald Trump's endorsement and portrays his opponent as a liberal detached from ordinary voters. If elected, he would be the state's first Black governor, and he has courted Black voters who have mostly sided with Democrats. Voters have also focused on rising prices and homeowners insurance costs.

The outcome will show whether Trump's national unpopularity reaches Florida, where Democrats have been encouraged by special election victories over the past year. Jolly still trails badly in fundraising, and Republicans hold roughly a 1.5 million voter registration edge. Either winner will likely face a Republican-majority legislature, though Democrats hope a strong showing could end the GOP supermajority.

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