Former Representative David Jolly, a Republican turned Democrat and a strong critic of President Trump, won the Democratic nomination for Florida governor on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
Mr. Jolly, 53, will be the underdog in the general-election race to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, a term-limited Republican who has solidified the state as a conservative stronghold.
Mr. Jolly defeated the second-placed finisher, Dayna Marie Foster, a liberal former teacher from Fort Lauderdale who was endorsed by Florida’s Democratic Progressive Caucus. Placing third was State Representative Dotie Joseph of North Miami, who entered the race late to give Democrats a more progressive choice. An earlier contender, Mayor Jerry Demings of Orange County, home to Orlando, dropped out of the race before the qualifying deadline, citing a cancer diagnosis.
Mr. Jolly, a lawyer, served as a Republican congressman from 2014 to 2017. He left the Republican Party in 2018 and has been a frequent political commentator on cable news. He held no party affiliation until registering as a Democrat last year.
Although Florida was a hotly contested political battleground for years, registered Republicans in the state now handily outnumber Democrats. The party has not won a governor’s race since 1994, although Democrats came close eight years ago when Andrew Gillum, a Democrat, narrowly lost to Mr. DeSantis.
In an expensive state with multiple media markets, Representative Byron Donalds, the Republican candidate for governor endorsed by Mr. Trump, has raised more than $100 million, far surpassing Mr. Jolly’s $10 million.
Still, Mr. Jolly has sought to tie Republicans to the broader voter discontent with Mr. Trump that helped Democrats win two special elections in Florida this year. Mr. Jolly has positioned himself as a moderate who will attack the state’s affordability crisis. And he is betting on voters to be fatigued by the culture battles waged by Mr. DeSantis. At a rally on Tuesday in Miami Lakes, Fla., Mr. Jolly urged voters in November to reject divisive rhetoric in favor of a government that is both lean and compassionate. “We are celebrating the return of a resiliency, the renewal of a hope, the belief in each other once again,” Mr. Jolly said.
He also cast Mr. Donalds as beholden to big-money corporate interests. “Everybody in this state can pull up a chair to the table. But money doesn’t buy access,” Mr. Jolly said.
David C. Adams contributed reporting from Miami Lakes, Fla.
