Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds says some Democrats could be persuaded to break with their party’s ticket in November, and he already has one prominent example. But the response to that crossover endorsement shows the competing effort to keep those voters behind Democratic nominee David Jolly.
Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut, a longtime Democrat and former state lawmaker, recently endorsed Donalds over Jolly. Days later, numerous Democratic elected officials from her own community publicly lined up behind Jolly.
Donalds discussed that strategy during an appearance on “We the People with Gates Garcia“, saying his campaign had spent the Republican primary speaking broadly to voters across Florida.
Rather than assuming registered Democrats will automatically support Jolly, Donalds argued that some remain reachable. He made a similar pitch after winning the Republican primary, saying Republicans, independents and “even some conservative Democrats” want Florida to continue on its current political path.
One Democrat Crosses Over, Then Her Colleagues Push Back
Donalds already has a prominent example of the crossover support he’s seeking. Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut, a longtime Democrat and former state lawmaker, endorsed Donalds despite previously donating three times to Jolly ahead of the Democratic primary.
Donalds already has a prominent example of the crossover support he’s seeking. Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut, a longtime Democrat and former state lawmaker, endorsed Donalds despite previously donating to Jolly during the Democratic primary.
Chestnut has stressed that she remains a Democrat and doesn’t agree with Donalds on every issue. She argued that Black voters shouldn’t be taken for granted and said she wants to see Florida elect its first Black governor. She has also criticized Jolly’s selection of Gwen Graham as his running mate.
“My endorsement of Byron Donalds is not a betrayal of my values,” Chestnut said while defending the decision. “It is a declaration that Black voters are not political property.”
Chestnut’s endorsement quickly produced a response from Democrats in her own community.
The Alachua County Democratic Executive Committee released endorsements for Jolly from numerous local elected officials, including county commissioners, Gainesville commissioners, school-board members and other officials.
The list included four current or incoming county commissioners, four current or incoming school-board members, four current or incoming Gainesville commissioners and Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward.
Donalds is now pointing to conservative Democrats as part of the coalition he wants to build against Jolly, and Chestnut gives him a real example rather than a hypothetical one.
But her endorsement has also produced a visible counterresponse. While Chestnut broke with her party to support Donalds, numerous Democratic officials from her own community have publicly backed Jolly instead. For now, both campaigns can point to Gainesville as evidence of the fight already underway over voters who don’t necessarily fit neatly into the usual party lines.
