TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds is renewing his challenge to Democrat David Jolly for a series of debates as both candidates hit the campaign trail and Florida’s race for governor moves rapidly into the general election.
Donalds, who captured the Republican nomination Tuesday, said Wednesday that he remains ready to face Jolly after previously proposing three statewide debates between the two candidates.
“I’m ready to go anytime,” Donalds said during an appearance on Fox Business.
The renewed challenge comes as Jolly campaigns in South Florida Thursday morning and Donalds prepares for an evening unity rally in Tampa, giving both nominees little downtime following Tuesday’s primary.
The two former members of Congress will compete Nov. 3 to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Jolly Campaigns in South Florida as Donalds Plans Tampa Rally
Jolly is beginning Thursday in South Miami, where he is scheduled to hold a breakfast meet-and-greet at CasaCuba with his running mate, attorney and former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham.
The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 7:30 a.m., according to local TV station WSVN.
Jolly and Graham said they plan to have what the campaign described as an inspiring conversation about moving Florida forward.
The appearance gives Jolly an early opportunity to take his general-election message directly to voters in South Florida, a region that will be important to Democrats’ prospects in November.
Jolly won the Democratic gubernatorial primary Tuesday with approximately 61% of the vote. The former Republican congressman centered much of his primary campaign on Florida’s affordability challenges, including housing, property insurance and the overall cost of living.
Donalds, meanwhile, is scheduled to hold a unity rally in Tampa at 5 p.m. Thursday as Republicans transition from a contested primary to the general election.
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody and Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia are expected to join Donalds at the event.
Donalds won the Republican primary with roughly 48% of the vote and enters the general election with the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
The dueling Thursday appearances underscore how quickly Florida’s gubernatorial campaign has shifted from separate party primaries into a head-to-head contest between Donalds and Jolly.
Donalds Revives Three-Debate Challenge
Donalds first challenged Jolly to three debates in July, weeks before either candidate had officially secured his party’s nomination.
His campaign proposed three statewide debates and invited television, radio and streaming outlets across Florida to submit proposals to host them.
The debates, Donalds’ campaign argued, would give voters an opportunity to compare the candidates on issues including affordability, property insurance, education, public safety, immigration and economic policy.
Jolly responded at the time by telling Donalds to first win his own nomination.
“Get through your primary and we’ll talk,” Jolly wrote, according to Spectrum News.
Donalds has now done that.
Asked Wednesday when Florida voters could expect the two candidates to meet onstage, Donalds said he was ready to move forward.
“I’m ready to go anytime,” Donalds said.
No schedule for three debates between the campaigns has been publicly finalized.
Donalds Skipped Republican Primary Debates
Donalds’ challenge also carries an interesting political wrinkle because he resisted calls to debate his Republican opponents before Tuesday’s primary.
During the Republican campaign, Donalds argued that debating his rivals would provide them with publicity while he was already focused heavily on a potential general-election matchup against Jolly.
His July debate challenge came while he was still facing Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and James Fishback for the Republican nomination.
Jolly was simultaneously competing for the Democratic nomination.
With both primaries now decided, the debate question has moved from a hypothetical general-election matchup to an immediate issue for the two campaigns.
Donalds and Jolly Turn Toward November
The general election pits two politicians who both previously served in Congress as Republicans but have since taken sharply different political paths.
Donalds entered the primary with a substantial financial advantage, including a $10 million contribution from billionaire Ken Griffin to a political committee supporting his candidacy.
Donalds has represented Southwest Florida in Congress since 2021 and entered the gubernatorial campaign with Trump’s endorsement.
His victory Tuesday puts him in position to potentially become Florida’s first Black governor.
Jolly represented a Tampa Bay-area congressional district as a Republican from 2014 to 2017.
He later became an outspoken Trump critic, left the Republican Party and eventually joined the Democratic Party.
Jolly is now attempting to become the first Democrat elected governor of Florida since Lawton Chiles won reelection in 1994.
The winner will succeed DeSantis, who cannot seek another consecutive term because of Florida’s gubernatorial term limits.
Campaign Begins Drawing Sharp Contrasts
Donalds has wasted little time previewing the ideological contrast he intends to draw against Jolly.
During his Wednesday television appearance, Donalds described Jolly as a “Trojan horse” for Democratic socialists and argued that the two candidates represent fundamentally different visions for Florida.
The attack comes as Republicans begin seeking to connect Jolly with other Democratic nominees emerging from Tuesday’s primary.
One of those nominees is state Rep. Angie Nixon, who defeated heavily funded Alex Vindman in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary and will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November.
Jolly, meanwhile, has emphasized affordability, property insurance, housing and health care as Democrats seek to regain ground with Florida voters.
Those issues are likely to become central points of disagreement if Donalds and Jolly meet on the debate stage.
Florida Governor Race Enters General Election
The first days following the primary show both campaigns moving quickly.
Jolly is campaigning in South Florida.
Donalds is gathering Republican leaders for a unity rally in Tampa.
And the Republican nominee is publicly pressing his Democratic opponent to commit to debates.
The next question is whether Jolly will accept Donalds’ proposed three-debate format and which organizations would ultimately host the events.
Jolly’s response before the primary was straightforward: Donalds needed to win his nomination first.
Both men have now cleared that hurdle.
Florida voters will choose between Donalds and Jolly in the Nov. 3 general election.
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