Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds says he is not limiting his general-election strategy to Republicans and independents. He believes another pool of voters is available to him in November: registered Democrats who no longer feel represented by their own party.
Donalds laid out that strategy during an appearance on We the People with Gates Garcia, saying his campaign had already spent the Republican primary speaking broadly to voters across Florida.
That’s the more unusual part of Donalds’ strategy against Democratic nominee David Jolly. Rather than assuming every registered Democrat is locked into the Democratic ticket, Donalds is betting that some voters who identify with the party may still be reachable on state issues.
His pitch to those voters is deliberately local. Donalds has floated the same possibility before. Following his primary victory, he told CNN that Republicans, independents, and “even some conservative Democrats” want Florida to continue on its current political path.
One Florida Democrat Has Already Crossed Over
Donalds already has at least one high-profile example of the crossover support he’s seeking. Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut, a longtime Democrat and former state lawmaker, recently endorsed Donalds despite previously supporting Jolly’s campaign. Chestnut has said she remains a Democrat and doesn’t agree with Donalds on every issue, but argued that Black voters shouldn’t be taken for granted and said she wants to see Florida elect its first Black governor.
Chestnut’s endorsement hasn’t led other prominent Democrats in her area to follow her lead. Days after she backed Donalds, numerous Alachua County Democratic officials publicly endorsed Jolly, including county commissioners, Gainesville commissioners, school-board members and other local elected officials.
That response provides an early counterpoint to Donalds’ crossover strategy. While Chestnut offers his campaign a prominent example of a Democrat willing to support him, other Democratic officials in the same community are publicly sticking with Jolly.
Donalds is tying that crossover pitch directly to affordability, arguing that economic concerns could open the door with voters who normally back Democrats. “Florida families work hard for their money. They shouldn’t have to hand more of it over to fund Democrats’ spending agenda,” Donalds said in recent campaign messaging. He has also summed up that pitch more simply: “I’m running for Governor to make Florida more affordable.”
Whether that translates into broader crossover support among Florida Democrats remains an open question. Donalds clearly wants to frame the race as more than a battle for the Republican base, arguing that affordability and other state issues could appeal to independents and some conservative Democrats. Chestnut gives him one prominent example, while the response from Democratic officials in her own community shows Jolly’s supporters are making their own case for keeping those voters in the Democratic column.
