WINK Investigates Reporter: Olivia Jean
•8/19/2026
Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly won the Democratic nomination for Florida governor Tuesday night, and in a one-on-one interview with WINK News, he laid out his message to Southwest Florida voters ahead of the November election.
Jolly, a former Republican congressman who later became an independent before joining the Democratic Party, will now turn his attention to the general election.
He will face Republican Byron Donalds on November 5th.
Jolly's campaign has centered on the economy, housing, health care and education.
Jolly spoke with WINK Investigates reporter Olivia Jean after his primary victory at his watch party in Miami Lakes.
WINK News was the only local television station at Jolly's primary night watch party and to conduct an interview with the newly minted Democratic nominee.
WINK News: "Democratic nominee for Florida governor. How does that sound? How are you feeling?"
David Jolly: "I think change is here. I didn't get into this race for a vanity run or to get back into politics per se. I got in because I do believe that voters and our family, my wife and I have two young kids, are desperate for change in a new direction. Look, I think most people know the economic headwinds are too strong. Where the private sector can lead, we should empower it, but governments got to do some things differently right now. Invest in housing, healthcare, education, the basics of people's life, and look, I also think that we're a nation that is too often broken. That we should believe in each other again, believe in something better, and end the culture wars, and recognize that everybody deserves respect in the state of Florida. So yeah, I'm in it with a real conviction, but I would suggest that voters have a real conviction tonight. They're asking for change, and I think if the election were tonight, we'd win the general election."
WINK News: "Why are you so confident that if the election was tonight, you'd win?"
David Jolly: "Because every poll tonight is showing that we're up, and and it's just because every room we've gone into, we've been on the same message. Look, if I didn't think that, I wouldn't ask people to invest in our race. I wouldn't ask people to believe. I said over a year ago to a lot of Democratic leadership. I said, "Look, you don't need to come in right now. Give me a year to move the polls. As a longtime analyst on TV, the bottom line truth is I know this: voters always tell us what they want. Voters have been saying, "Please fix the economy. Please do something about homeowners insurance, about affordable and workforce housing. Please allow me to access health care. Please improve my local schools. Republicans have had the opportunity to respond, and they haven't. If anything, they abandoned those priorities this session, and they doubled down on culture wars. Whether, you're a progressive or an old school Republican, we're done with that. We're exhausted from that. Just focus on the basics: housing, healthcare, and education. I believe that's what brought us together, brought us to tonight, and will lead us through November."
WINK News: "You went up on stage and you thanked the Democratic Party. Why?"
David Jolly: "Look, they welcomed me in just over a year ago, and I said I didn't come into the party to change it. I came in to grow it. I believe in the values rooted in our party's traditions-that the economy should work, government can do a little bit to improve our lives, and everyone's rights protected. I've built friendships along the way. Tonight, Democratic voters offered me their trust to be their nominee for governor, and so my job now is to take those values within our party, to reflect them, to unify our party from the Blue Dogs to the Progressives, but to amplify our values to independents and Republicans. You heard me speak directly to Republicans tonight about believing in responsible, less government, smart government, lower taxes, keeping government out of your life, and also returning to local control. A lot of values that I still believe in that I think some Republicans have drifted away from in Tallahassee, and I spoke to independents who don't care about ideology. Oftentimes, I don't either. It's about big solutions to big problems. We got the coalition in place to win this."
WINK News: "Three months until election night. What's your biggest challenge?"
David Jolly: "I think Byron Donald's and the Republican machine is going to try to break our trust in each other. He's going to try to make this about issues that Florida voters aren't really interested in. He's going to try to make this about ideology in a moment when people just want answers. So we've got to overcome that. The good news is, Florida's voters are going to tell us what they want. If he was on message, he wouldn't be worried tonight. He wouldn't be attacking me tonight. Every time he opens his mouth, he calls me radical, and I say I'm not even cool, much less radical. The reality is, I'm focused on what Bob Graham and Lawton Childs did: the responsible administration of government. Can you stay in your home, live in the community in which you work? Can you access health care? And do you know where to send your kids to school? Is the water in the air clean? Is your community safe? That's it. It's a very different perspective than Byron running an ideological, divisive campaign. I trust voters. Voters are going to let us know what they think about this in November."
WINK News: "What is your message to Southwest Floridians who are unsure about voting for you?"
David Jolly: "I know you're struggling with the economic conditions. Whether you're a homeowner who needs insurance relief, a renter who wants to live in the community and not have to leave the state, in a school that's abandoned public education and gone to choice that charges you tuition on top of vouchers, you're just asking to be able to educate your kids, and you're probably worried about health care. If you're a retiree, a senior, you want to age in place. Those are the basics that I'm focused in on. I know throughout Southwest Florida we see a lot of Republican voters. The values I talk about are bigger than one party, and I would say I still reflect some old school Republican language about keeping government lean, keeping taxes low, returning to local control-something that's been under attack from Tallahassee, and yes, getting government out of your life, out of your doctor's office, out of your bedroom. I think there's enough where Republicans can come our way. That's the commitment I have made to people of all walks of life: Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. I hope they'll join me."
WINK News: "First thing you're going to do if elected when you get into office?"
David Jolly: "Fire the Surgeon General of the state of Florida. But I also look the appointment process allows us to begin to reshape higher education in the state. Something that's come under ideological attack. Appoint a commissioner of education that's going to let teachers teach, but also bring people into the public service commission that believe in clean air, clean water, and environmental sciences. But, on day one, we also have to introduce an economic package to the legislature and ask for their their help. Can we move to a state catastrophic fund to reduce insurance? Can we invest in workforce and affordable housing. Can we invest in a 10-year renaissance in public education? And can we expand health care? I think there's enough areas to work with Republicans on that. And honestly, after eight years of this governor, I think there are Republicans in Tallahassee that'll breathe a sigh of relief. They'll say, if you'll focus in on the basics with us, we'll work together. My first call will be to Republican leaders in Tallahassee, saying, let's not waste the next four years."
WINK News: "Is there anything I didn't ask you that you wanted to add? I know that we're running up on time."
David Jolly: "Look, you know, I spoke tonight to the faith community because I'm a child of the church; I celebrate my faith. I know the heartbeat of the church. I also know that the governor needs to make sure their faith stays out of the state house and that we protect everybody's religious liberty. But I'm exhausted by one party co-opting the church. I think it's wrong, and so we're going to have a conversation with the faith community. The answer is not to let a second party co-opt the faith community. It's to ask for the basic fairness of religious liberty, whether you worship or not, whether you choose to or not, and to recognize the basic values of our campaign, empower the most number of people."
Jolly's victory Tuesday night officially moves him out of a six-way Democratic primary and into a general election campaign.
The former congressman now has to convince voters beyond the Democratic base that his message can translate into a statewide victory.
For Jolly, that means focusing on the issues he repeatedly cited during his campaign: housing, health care, education, insurance costs and the economy. He says he believes voters — including Republicans and independents — are ready to hear that message.
