Both candidates for Florida governor spent Tuesday in Tallahassee, and each one was focused on the same job: getting their own voters to the polls. Republican Congressman Byron Donalds held a restaurant rally with Florida’s CFO and local officials, emphasizing consistency. Neither Donalds nor his surrogates mentioned President Trump, even though Trump plans to campaign for him. Democrat David Jolly rallied at Cascades Park Tuesday evening, saying the state is exhausted by political noise and promising to remove the governor’s Surgeon General pick on day one.
The stakes are historic. If elected, Donalds would become Florida’s first Black governor. And despite long odds for Jolly in some prediction markets, a recent UNF poll shows the race could be a toss-up. Both candidates have referenced Governor Ron DeSantis more often than the president on the trail, a sign of how Florida politics has reshaped itself.
With early voting underway and election day approaching, base turnout is the deciding factor here. Suncoast voters should watch for campaign stops in our area next. What would you want the next governor to tackle first in our beach communities? Let us know in the comments.
