Donalds accuses Jolly of 180-degree shifts in Florida governor race

Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds is attacking Democratic opponent David Jolly for reversing his political positions, arguing that the changes reflect political convenience rather than personal conviction. Donalds told Fox News Digital that Jolly's shift is "purely because of political convenience," directly referencing a 2016 congressional exchange in which Jolly, then a Republican, criticized Democrat Charlie Crist for similar reversals on abortion.

The campaign is highlighting several areas where Jolly's stated views have changed since he left office as a Republican congressman. On abortion, Jolly previously stated that life begins at conception, authored legislation to defund Planned Parenthood, and voted for a federal 20-week abortion ban. Now running as a Democrat, Jolly identifies as pro-choice, backs keeping the Roe v. Wade precedent in law, and stated he would block any state laws limiting access to abortion if elected governor.

Immigration policy represents another point of contention. As a Republican, Jolly campaigned on securing the border and voted for the American SAFE Act. He now argues that crossing the border without legal status should not necessarily be treated as a crime and has described the Republican link between immigration and crime as "gross," "immoral" and "wrong." Donalds is also questioning Jolly's credibility on healthcare, noting that Jolly opposed Obamacare while in Congress but now wants to expand it in Florida.

A specific controversy involves Jolly's lobbying activities following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The spill sent oil along roughly 178 miles of Florida coastline and cost the region an estimated $1.3 billion in visitor spending and more than 20,000 job-years. Within a year of the spill, Jolly's lobbying firm represented the Free Enterprise Nation, which supported H.R. 909, a bill that could have expanded offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Jolly wrote a post stating the group was "advocating for" the legislation. While Jolly claims he never lobbied for offshore drilling, PolitiFact rated that claim "Mostly False" after finding he acknowledged attending a meeting where the bill was discussed.

Donalds characterized Jolly's actions as a pattern of doing "everything possible" and being "paid by whomever" in his own interest. The race is currently tight, with the RealClearPolitics average showing Donalds holding a roughly 4-point lead. The candidates are also in conflict over debate scheduling; Donalds has agreed to three proposed debates, while Jolly has ruled out participating in any this cycle.

Jolly is attempting to become the first Democrat to win a governor's race in Florida since Lawton Chiles won reelection in 1994. He has focused his campaign on data centers and accuses Donalds of prioritizing partisan culture-war battles over Florida's rising housing, insurance and health care costs. Donalds said his campaign will continue to focus on Jolly's party switch and issue reversals, asserting that Florida voters cannot trust Jolly because they cannot afford his "flip-flopping." Fox News Digital reached out to the Jolly campaign for comment.