Undecided Black voters, David Jolly says, may decide who becomes Florida’s next governor.
Appearing in Tallahassee Monday, Jolly and running mate Gwen Graham were flanked by U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Lawson of Tallahassee, both prominent Black political figures.
About 10% of Black voters are undecided, Jolly said, with about 80% of siding with him. An NBC 6 poll shows Jolly with 76% of Black voters’ support and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Black Republican, with 10%.
“I think there are two final fronts in this race,” Jolly said, one being “the disaffected Republican.”
Donalds is “trying to scare a lot of Republicans to come back home,” Jolly continued.
“But I would say the most important front that this entire race could come down to is the 10% of undecided Black voters in Florida right now. We are around just north of 80 [percent], which historically three weeks out is about where we should be as a Democrat. Byron’s at about 9 or 10 [percent]. And the final front and the voters that might decide this race are the currently undecided Black voters in the state of Florida.”
If elected governor, Donalds would be the first Black governor in Florida’s history. Yet, per polls, Black voters seem to be siding with the Democratic candidate, who is white.
“Someone said to me, ‘Are you concerned, Jolly as a Democrat, you’re only getting about 80-81% of the Black voters,’ and I said, ‘Not as concerned as Byron should be that he’s only getting 9% of his own community. But that last 10% is where I think this race could get decided,” Jolly said.
Jolly on Monday met with the Florida State University Black Student Union and Divine Nine sorority and fraternity chapter leaders at FSU and Florida A&M University.
Angie Nixon, a Black Florida House member from Jacksonville, as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate “helps a lot,” Jolly said.
“One of the comments I have made and I’ve continued to make, look, there will be voters who decide to reach for history in this race. Some will reach for history because they want to elect the first Black governor. I don’t argue with that; if that is what is informing a voter, it’s not my place to argue with them,” Jolly said.
“I don’t squabble with the reach for history. That’s not my place to do. I do squabble with the agenda and the platform, and I think Byron has a hard time justifying his candidacy to a lot of communities, including the Black community.”
He pointed to those advising his campaign. Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes, a Black minister in Tallahassee is chair of a coalition of pastors from historically Black congregations supporting Jolly, and various Black state legislators are part of his leadership team.
The former representative Lawson — who lost his seat when Florida’s Republican governor and Legislature dismantled his minority-opportunity district — insisted Jolly would make Florida history, too.
“A vote for Jolly is a vote to change the course of Florida,” Lawson said.
FAMU town hall
Meanwhile, at a FAMU town hall Jolly answered questions from the audience, which included students. He was pressed on immigration, healthcare, and education.
As a fifth-generation Floridian, Jolly said he was aware of the significance of FAMU, the state’s only public HBCU, but acknowledged no one in his family had experienced campus life there.
He did note the time under former FAMU President Frederick Humphries when FAMU successfully recruited more National Achievement Scholars — once a National Merit Scholarship recognition and financial award for high-performing Black high school students — than Harvard.
But the Legislature never rewarded FAMU for its accomplishments, Jolly said.
As governor, Jolly said he’d settle a lawsuit filed by FAMU students in 2022 that alleges, among other things, the state systemically underfunded the campus by nearly $2 billion over the past three decades.
“We could let the court settle it or we could settle it in the Legislature right now,” Jolly said.
A student asked Jolly how, as a former member of the Republican Party, he could assure the “Black diaspora” that he “won’t be like those that came before you and what will you do on Day One to prove to us of your intentions?”
Jolly initially replied, “Is this where we pull the fire alarm?”
It was a reference to his Republican opponent’s appearance at a FAMU town hall two weeks earlier. That event was interrupted when a fire alarm went, off requiring the auditorium to be vacated. After about a 40-minute delay, Donalds resumed his town hall.
Jolly’s remark was met with laughter from the crowd and even a bit of applause. Then Jolly said:
“Let me follow up with this. I don’t think the problem is that I used to be a Republican. I think the problem is my opponent still is a Republican.”
This story has been updated to include Jolly’s remarks a a FAMU Town Hall Monday night.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.This article appears in Oct. 08 – 14, 2026.