The Forward Party is supporting Democratic nominee David Jolly for governor of Florida, endorsing the former Republican congressman who once led the Serve America Movement, one of three groups that merged in 2022 to form the modern Forward Party.
The national party announced its formal endorsement October 5, saying Jolly’s record and campaign reflect the type of cross-partisan approach it has looked for in candidates this election cycle. It pointed in particular to his focus on Florida’s affordability problems and an economic message built around access to “work, wages and wealth” while otherwise protecting individual rights.
“David Jolly has spent his career focused on solving problems rather than scoring political points, and his campaign for Governor reflects just that,” Forward Party CEO Lindsey Drath said. “He is centering his campaign on the issues Floridians feel every day, from homeowner’s insurance costs to access to healthcare and the need for strong public schools.”
“That’s the kind of practical, results-driven leadership Forward exists to support,” Drath added.
Jolly was first elected to Florida’s 13th Congressional District in a March 2014 special election following the death of Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Young. He won a full term that November but lost reelection in the 2016 general election to Democrat Charlie Crist. Jolly remained a Republican after leaving office but departed the party in 2018 and became an independent.
He later became executive chairman of the Serve America Movement, which joined with Andrew Yang’s original Forward Party, launched after his 2020 presidential campaign, and the Renew America Movement in 2022 to form the Forward Party as it’s known today. Jolly joined Yang and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman in a Washington Post opinion piece announcing the merger that July, with the three saying they wanted to build an “optimistic and inclusive home for the politically homeless majority.”
Jolly would later register as a Democrat in 2025 and launch his gubernatorial campaign that June. He went on to win the Democratic primary with nearly 61% of the vote, finishing well ahead of five other candidates. He is running with former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham as his lieutenant governor candidate.
“Jolly’s own political journey, from Republican member of Congress to Democratic gubernatorial nominee, underscores the kind of independent thinking Forward believes voters are looking for in their leaders,” the party said in its endorsement.
Jolly will appear on the November general election ballot in the race to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is prevented from seeking a third consecutive term due to term limits. The ballot also includes Republican nominee Byron Donalds, Libertarian nominee Scott Jewett, and five candidates running without a party affiliation.
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