David Jolly called the Free State of Florida "a lie."
Now Donalds has that quote on the airwaves and the money to keep it there.
And Byron Donalds put David Jolly on notice that he will never apologize for Florida.
The Ad That Defines the Race
Donalds dropped a 30-second spot this week called "Never Apologize" – and it does exactly what the title promises.
"David Jolly represents everything that folks hate about Washington, D.C.," Donalds says in the ad.
He doesn't stop there.
"We will not apologize for keeping our state open,” he added. “We will not apologize for keeping our taxes low. And we will never apologize for protecting parental rights."
That's not just a campaign ad.
https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2100601495863374217?s=20
That's a closing argument for the entire DeSantis era – and a preview of what a Donalds governorship looks like on day one.
The backdrop matters too.
The ad closes with a still from Donalds' recent appearance alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis at a Republican Party of Florida event.
DeSantis has endorsed Donalds to replace him.
That image – two Florida Republicans standing together, unapologetic – is the contrast Donalds wants burned into every voter's brain before November 3.
Jolly's Money Problem Is Getting Worse
Donalds spent more than $9 million in a single week ending September 4 – between his Friends of Byron Donalds political committee and his campaign account.
After that spending spree, he still had more than $41 million on hand.
Jolly raised less than $1 million that same week.
He has under $6 million total to spend, and he has publicly said he is saving it for October.
That strategy – wait and sprint – is already failing him.
https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2100363596060299600?s=20
Donalds is defining the race on his terms, with his money, while Jolly sits on his hands and hopes the map changes.
It won't.
Republicans hold a voter registration advantage of more than 1.2 million in Florida.
Trump won the state by 13 points in 2024.
Florida has not elected a Democratic governor since 1994.
The last Democrat who tried the "former Republican running as a Democrat" play was Charlie Crist.
He lost to DeSantis by 19 points.
What Jolly Actually Said
This is the part Democrats don't want you to remember.
When Jolly entered the race, he didn't just criticize Republican policy.
He called the Free State of Florida "a lie."
He said Republicans had made the state "less tolerant" and "less accommodating" to people who don't share the governor's beliefs.
He said Republicans who link immigration to crime are "wrong and immoral."
He spent years as an anti-Trump commentator on MSNBC before deciding he wanted to run Florida.
Now he wants Floridians to hand him the governor's mansion.
Donalds is making sure voters understand exactly what they would be handing it to.
A man who looked at the state they love – the state 23 million people chose to live in – and called it a fraud.
That's not opposition research.
That's Jolly's own words, on the record, from his own campaign announcement.
The Real Fight Here
Florida conservatives have spent a decade building something real.
Low taxes.
Open businesses during COVID.
https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2100294929301823491?s=20
Parental rights in schools.
Immigration enforcement.
Two dominant senators.
A congressional delegation that fights.
Democrats spent that same decade calling all of it dangerous, extreme, and a lie.
Now one of those Democrats wants to run the state he called a fraud.
Donalds is 8 points ahead in polling, flush with cash, and backed by Trump and DeSantis simultaneously.
He's not running a defensive campaign.
He's running the campaign Florida conservatives have been waiting for – one that looks at every liberal attack on their state and says: we built this, we're proud of it, and we're not apologizing to anybody.
Sources:
- A.G. Gancarski, "Byron Donalds says he'll 'never apologize' for Florida in new ad targeting David Jolly," Florida Politics, September 15, 2026.
- "Byron Donalds, David Jolly sail to victory in Florida Primary race for governor," WEAR TV, August 18, 2026.
- "David Jolly, a Trump critic and former GOP congressman, to run for Florida governor as a Democrat," AP, June 5, 2025.
- "Byron Donalds dwarfs David Jolly in early 2026 Florida governor race fundraising," Florida Politics, 2026.
- "Florida GOP Representative Byron Donalds holds an 8-point lead over Democratic opponent David Jolly," Newsweek, 2026.
