_jpg.png)
Donalds leads in financial contributions while Jolly leads in Black support
Democrat David Jolly and Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds are both pushing for financial momentum in their campaigns to become Florida’s governor.
According to an Oct. 17 report published by Florida Politics, Jolly has raised more than $1.97 million during the reporting period ending Oct. 9 through his campaign account and affiliated political committee, Florida 2026.
The latest contributions follow a previous fundraising period in which Jolly collected approximately $2.7 million.
Despite those gains, Donalds maintains a commanding financial lead.
Florida Politics reported that Donalds raised more than $5.9 million during the same period, bringing his total fundraising to more than $146 million this election cycle, compared with $21 million for Jolly.
The spending gap is equally significant. Donalds has spent more than $110 million, while Jolly has spent more than $17 million, according to the publication.
Donations Fuel Jolly's Campaign
While Donalds continues to attract major contributions, Jolly's campaign has benefited from thousands of individual donations. During the week ending Oct. 9, Jolly's campaign account received 10,941 contributions, according to Florida Politics.
His fundraising included approximately $241,000 in public matching funds, along with major contributions to his political committee from labor organizations.
The National Education Association contributed $250,000, while the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees contributed $200,000.
Florida's public campaign financing program provides matching funds for eligible contributions, helping qualifying candidates supplement their campaign resources.
According to the Florida Division of Elections, Jolly received an additional $223,106 in matching funds on Oct. 16, compared with $55,953 awarded to Donalds.
Donalds' Fundraising
Donalds' campaign has benefited from substantial contributions to his political committee, Friends of Byron Donalds.
Among the largest contributions during the reporting period were $1 million each from the GEO Group, a private corrections and detention services company, and Fighting for Florida's Families, according to Florida Politics.
Donalds' financial advantage has been evident throughout the campaign. In June, WLRN reported that Donalds had raised approximately $14 million over a two-month period, giving his campaign and political committee significant resources heading into the summer.
Support From Black Voters
Jolly, a former Republican congressman who represented parts of Tampa Bay before becoming a Democrat, faces an uphill battle in a state where Republicans have controlled the governor's office since 1999.
A Stetson University poll released on Oct. 13 shows Donalds leading Jolly 52% to 41%. Donalds is working to garner more support from Florida Black voters. Gainesville city commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut recently endorsed Donalds.
A Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy poll for NBC 6 and Telemundo, also released on Oct. 13 showed Donalds leading Jolly 48% to 41%. However, when it came to the Black vote, Jolly was supported by 76% versus Donalds’ 10%.
The numbers show that skin color is not the deciding asset for Black voters.
“There is a phrase, ‘All skin folk ain’t kin folk,’ which means that just because he’s Black doesn’t mean that he has a Black agenda, or he even addresses the actual needs in the Black community,” said Rep. Ashley Gantt as reported by U.S. News World and Report.
Donalds recently shared with CBS News that he is currently seeking ‘north of 20%’ of the Black vote.
"I think there's a lot of Black voters who are looking at my campaign because they're just trying to figure out who's going to be the best person to lead Florida into the future," Donalds told CBS in a recent interview. "I think the other thing with Black voters: they're starting to not be as monolithically tied to the Democrat Party."
Early voting opened in many Florida counties on Oct. 19. The general election will be Nov. 3.
Share Your News with Us
To share news with the Power Broker, connect with reachout@powerbrokermagazine.com. To sign up for our twice-weekly e-newsletter, visit www.powerbrokernews.com; and to join our online conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel at Power Broker Media Group – YouTube.