Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly each spoke with WPTV during the final stretch of Florida’s race for governor. A University of North Florida poll released last week showed the contest as a statistical tie.
Donalds, a Republican congressman, said by video call from his campaign bus that he wants to build on policies from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. He said the state should “DOGE all governments,” referring to the Department of Government Efficiency that DeSantis created by executive order in 2025. Donalds said he would help fiscally constrained counties if Amendment 3, which would raise homestead exemptions and cut local revenue, passes.
Jolly, who served as a Republican in Congress during the 2010s, said he personally opposes Amendment 3 but would respect the voters’ decision. “I think we all want the math behind Amendment 3 to work, but it just doesn’t,” he said. He called for housing, health care and education investments and said he opposes data centers. Donalds said local governments should decide on data centers, with the state protecting consumers from utility costs and water resources.
The candidates agree on keeping universal school vouchers. Jolly wants more charter school transparency and higher teacher pay. Donalds said parents want test scores and graduation metrics, and he said his wife would not contract with the state.
No gubernatorial debate was held this year, the first time in decades. Donalds said Jolly’s proposed insurance plan would raise premiums, which Jolly has disputed. Jolly said debates reward insults.
