Overview
- A self‑described “Republicans for Jolly” group formally launched in St. Petersburg on Monday, with Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse and Greg Wilson named as co‑chairs and former GOP candidate Bobby Williams publicly endorsing David Jolly.
- Jolly’s campaign is explicitly courting disaffected Republicans and independents, including a dedicated web landing page to recruit conservative voters who oppose unchecked development and big data centers.
- Speakers at the launch framed the appeal around local control, affordability and homeowners’ insurance reform, with Williams and others highlighting Jolly’s support for a moratorium on large data centers and a catastrophic fund model to lower premiums.
- The Donalds campaign and the Republican Party of Florida immediately condemned the effort and began airing attacks that tie Jolly to Democratic national figures and warn that his insurance proposals would raise costs for homeowners.
- The move tests Jolly’s strategy in a state with a large Republican registration advantage and strong institutional support for Byron Donalds from President Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis, making cross‑party defections a potential but uncertain path to a November victory.