Party changes and congressional votes offer a closer look at both candidates’ records on issues affecting Black Americans.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Republican Byron Donalds spent nearly seven years as a registered Democrat—longer than Democrat David Jolly’s approximately 18 months in the party. Jolly, however, reports having spent 25 years as a Republican, exceeding Donalds’ approximately 16½ years.

The two major-party candidates for Florida governor have political histories that cross party lines. Their congressional votes offer another basis for scrutiny: Jolly supported repealing the Affordable Care Act, while Donalds opposed major voting-rights and police-accountability proposals. Both also supported other legislation relevant to Black communities.

Why This Article Matters to Voters

Voters can examine previous decisions in public office alongside campaign promises. Party affiliation identifies a political association; legislative records show how candidates acted on specific proposals.

The measures examined here concern health insurance, employment opportunities, voting discrimination, police accountability and racial violence. These issues affect African Americans and the wider electorate, making the candidates’ records relevant to voters deciding who should lead Florida.

Who Spent Longer in Each Party?

Donalds was registered as a Democrat in Collier County from April 2003 until March 2010, according to Florida Politics. He then became a Republican. Jolly left the Republican Party in September 2018, became an unaffiliated voter and registered as a Democrat in April 2025.

Durations are approximate as of Oct. 11, 2026. Jolly’s 25-year Republican history was reported by WUSF; his original Republican registration date was not independently verified for this comparison.

Donalds’ documented Democratic registration exceeds Jolly’s by approximately five years and five months. Jolly’s stated Republican history exceeds Donalds’ by approximately eight years.

Jolly’s Defeat, Party Change and Return to Electoral Politics

Jolly lost his 2016 congressional reelection bid as a Republican to Democrat Charlie Crist in Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Published election results show Crist received 184,693 votes to Jolly’s 171,149, winning by 13,544 votes.

Crist, a former Republican governor, had already moved from Republican to independent to Democrat. Jolly later followed the same sequence, although that does not establish identical motivations. Reporting republished on Jolly’s campaign website described his departure from the Republican Party as a response to its direction under Donald Trump.

Jolly declined to endorse Trump in 2016, according to Sunshine State News. PolitiFact subsequently found that a Democratic campaign advertisement portraying Jolly as a Trump ally was inaccurate.

After considering but declining another congressional run in 2018, as reported by Roll Call, Jolly returned to electoral politics with his governor campaign. He registered as a Democrat in April 2025, roughly six weeks before announcing his candidacy June 5—more than a year before the 2026 election.

Different Congressional Terms, Relevant Policy Questions

Official congressional biographies show that Jolly served in Congress from March 2014 through Jan. 3, 2017, during President Barack Obama’s administration. His service ended before Trump’s first inauguration. Donalds entered Congress in January 2021 after serving in the Florida House from 2016 through 2020.

Their congressional terms did not overlap, so this comparison examines different bills rather than votes they cast together.

Both served as Republicans during the votes examined below. Their subsequent or previous party affiliations do not change those legislative records.

Jolly Supported ACA Repeal and Workforce Training

Official U.S. House Clerk records show that Jolly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act on Feb. 3, 2015. The proposal did not become law, but his vote supported removing a framework that expanded health insurance access for African Americans.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the uninsured rate among nonelderly Black Americans fell from 20.9% in 2010 to 10.8% in 2022 following implementation of the ACA’s coverage provisions. Those gains make health coverage relevant to examining repeal proposals, without establishing that Jolly’s unsuccessful repeal vote caused anyone to lose insurance.

House Clerk records also show that Jolly supported the final House agreement to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act on July 9, 2014. The legislation supported training and employment services for people facing employment barriers, including eligible Black workers and young people. Its programs serve people across racial groups, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Donalds Opposed Voting-Rights and Policing Bills, Backed Antilynching Measure

House Clerk records show that Donalds voted against the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on Aug. 24, 2021. The proposal sought stronger federal safeguards against racial discrimination in voting, including renewed requirements for certain jurisdictions to obtain approval before changing election practices.

On March 3, 2021, Donalds voted against the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The congressional bill summary describes proposed protections against racial profiling and changes to police accountability.

In a statement published by his congressional office, Donalds defended his opposition by arguing that the measure would defund and dismantle policing. That was his characterization of the proposal, whose provisions included measures addressing racial profiling and constitutional violations by law enforcement.

Donalds voted for the Emmett Till Antilynching Act on Feb. 28, 2022, according to House Clerk records, supporting federal legislation addressing lynching through hate-crime law—a measure with particular historical significance for African Americans.

What Voters Can Assess

These selected votes document Jolly’s support for ACA repeal and workforce opportunities, and Donalds’ opposition to major voting-rights and policing proposals alongside support for antilynching legislation.

They do not establish discriminatory intent or determine whose entire record benefited African Americans more. That would require a broader review of policies and measurable outcomes, including Donalds’ Florida legislative record.

Donalds spent longer as a documented registered Democrat, while Jolly reports a longer Republican history. Both cast the congressional votes examined here as Republicans.

Either Major-Party Candidate Would Bring a Republican History

If either of the two major-party candidates wins, Florida’s next governor will bring a substantial Republican history to office—Donalds as a current Republican and Jolly as a former Republican congressman now running as a Democrat. Voters can weigh those histories alongside their legislative records, current positions and plans for Florida.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Commissioner Uribe announced that the Hispanic Heritage Festival has been rescheduled due to weather conditions. The event will now take place Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon at Cypress Grove Park, 290 Holden Ave., Orlando.

The festival will celebrate the rich history, cultures, traditions and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities through live music, dance performances, food and community resources.

Scheduled highlights include:

• Live music by youth orchestra The Nucleus Orchestral.
• Dance performances featuring Maria Saavedra of FusionFest with Huellas de Colombia, Unidos for Ecuador and Mexico Dansa.
• Food from Zaza.
• Community resources from 311 and other participants.

Join Commissioner Uribe and the community for a morning celebrating Hispanic and Latino heritage.

NEW DATE: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
TIME: 9 a.m. to noon
LOCATION: Cypress Grove Park
ADDRESS: 290 Holden Ave., Orlando, FL 32839

Democratic crossover endorsements provide context. Orange County’s vote margin could help shape the contest between Donalds and David Jolly.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds’ appearance at ONYX Magazine’s Men of Honor Gala in Orlando raises a broader electoral question: Could crossover support in Democratic-leaning Orange County help him reach the governor’s mansion?

 

Source: ONYX Magazine Facebook Page

Donalds and Democratic opponent David Jolly attended the Oct. 3 celebration at the Rosen Centre Hotel, according to Hoodline reporting citing the Orlando Sentinel. The gathering brought together elected officials, business executives, educators and community leaders to recognize leadership, achievement and service. Source: Hoodline

Organizers emphasized that the candidates’ attendance did not constitute an endorsement. Among the honorees was Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, selected for a lifetime achievement award. Source: Jacksonville Free Press

Orange County, home to Orlando, provides a setting for examining both candidates’ electoral prospects. Its history includes prominent Democrats backing Republicans, while its Democratic vote margins illustrate how the county can contribute to the statewide outcome.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds, left, and Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut, a longtime Democrat who endorsed Donalds for governor.

Donalds Has Secured a Democratic Crossover Endorsement

Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut, a registered Democrat, endorsed Donalds over Jolly in September, according to WCJB. She cited Black representation, dissatisfaction with the Democratic ticket and support for historically Black colleges and universities, while acknowledging disagreements with some of Donalds’ policies. Source: WCJB

Chestnut subsequently introduced Donalds at a University of Florida town hall, emphasizing access to his office and fair consideration of Gainesville’s needs. Source: WCJB

Her endorsement raises a question about whether other Democrats, including those with conservative or moderate views, might support Donalds. However, her stated reasons do not establish a broader ideological shift. Dissatisfaction with party leadership or progressive positions does not automatically translate into Republican votes.

Source: Winter Park Voice

Orange County Democrats Have Backed Republicans Before

Democratic Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer endorsed Republican state Rep. Mike Miller against Democrat Beth Tuura in the 2016 Florida House District 47 election — a partisan legislative contest. Source: Florida Politics

In the nonpartisan 2024 Orange County Commission District 5 race, Dyer endorsed Republican former Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary. Winter Park Voice also identified former Democratic state Sen. Gary Siplin, former Orange County Commissioner Victoria Siplin and Winter Park Commissioner Craig Russell as Democratic supporters of Leary. Source: Winter Park Voice

Dyer’s Orlando PAC contributed $4,000 to Neighbors for a Sensible Orange County, the political committee chaired by Leary, according to Winter Park Voice’s reporting on campaign finance filings. The committee also promoted Leary alongside Democratic candidates. This was financial support between political committees, rather than a personal donation by Dyer or a direct contribution to Leary’s candidate account. Source: Winter Park Voice

Former Orange County Chair Linda Chapin encouraged Democrats to support Republican Teresa Jacobs’ 2014 reelection campaign for county mayor while Democrat Val Demings was challenging her. Source: Orlando Weekly

Dyer and Orlando Commissioner Tony Ortiz also endorsed Republican Commissioner Jim Gray in the 2025 Orlando election. Ortiz had switched from Republican to Democrat earlier that year. Source: Orlando Weekly

These examples document individual cross-party support across different elections. They do not establish that those leaders endorse Donalds.

Then-state Rep. Daisy Morales, D-Orlando, sits at her district office in Orange County, Florida. Morales represented House District 48 from 2020 to 2022 and sponsored or co-sponsored more than 110 bipartisan bills that became law.

Montilla and Morales: Participation, Endorsements and Party Enforcement

Republican attorney Joel Antonio Montilla’s 2024 Orange County Commission campaign provides additional context about political participation and disputes over party loyalty.

Former Democratic state Rep. Daisy Morales participated on Montilla’s non-partisan campaign-launch host committee for Orange County Commissioner. Montilla separately confirmed to Florida Politics that Morales did not endorse his candidacy. Source: Florida Politics

Morales brings a record of electoral success in Orange County. In 2018, she won countywide reelection to the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District board with 256,342 votes. In 2020, she defeated four opponents in the Democratic primary, including Samuel Vilchez Santiago, before defeating Republican Jesus Martinez in the general election to win Florida House District 48, a majority-Hispanic district with a large Puerto Rican community. Official general-election results show she received 47,341 votes, or 65.3%.

Morales alleges that Orange County’s Democratic establishment, including Vilchez Santiago, her 2026 House District 43 primary opponent and former Orange County Democratic Party chair, targeted her over an alleged violation of party endorsement rules while treating prominent Democrats who supported Republican candidates differently. She characterizes that treatment as selective enforcement in a defamation lawsuit filed in Orange County.

The documented crossover endorsements provide context for her allegation, but determining whether party rules were applied unevenly requires comparing the applicable rules, circumstances and disciplinary decisions in each case.

Endorsements, financial contributions, campaign management and host-committee participation represent distinct activities. Those distinctions matter when evaluating both crossover support and allegations of inconsistent party enforcement. Morales’ participation in Montilla’s event does not establish support for Donalds.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, left, the Republican nominee for Florida governor, and former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, the Democratic nominee.

Orange County: A Gateway to the Governor’s Mansion?

Orange County’s influence rests on the votes it contributes and the advantage it delivers to either candidate.

In the 2018 governor’s election, Democrat Andrew Gillum received 296,257 votes in Orange County, compared with Republican Ron DeSantis’ 174,228 — a Democratic advantage of 122,029 votes. DeSantis nevertheless won statewide by 32,463 votes. Source: Florida Division of Elections

The county also voted Democratic in the 2024 presidential election. Kamala Harris received 340,807 votes, while Donald Trump received 258,279, giving Harris an 82,528-vote advantage. Source: Florida Division of Elections

The elections involved different offices, candidates and turnout conditions. Their results provide historical context rather than a forecast for the governor’s race.

Neither Donalds nor Jolly must win Orange County to win Florida. The margin is what matters. A smaller Democratic advantage would improve Donalds’ statewide position, assuming results elsewhere remained unchanged. A larger advantage for Jolly could help offset Republican strength in other counties.

Changes in that margin could reflect turnout, crossover voting or choices by voters without a party affiliation. County totals alone cannot establish how many Democrats voted Republican.

Will Community Engagement Translate Into Votes?

The ONYX gala placed both candidates before a community gathering outside a conventional partisan campaign event. Whether such appearances generate support will depend on voters’ assessments of their records, proposals and priorities.

Endorsements have limits. Gray lost his 2025 reelection bid to Democrat Tom Keen despite Dyer’s backing and a fundraising advantage. Source: Florida Politics

Chestnut’s endorsement provides a documented example of Democratic support for Donalds. Polling and voter interviews would be needed to determine whether comparable support exists in Orange County and how significant it might be.

For Donalds, making a sustained case to Black voters would require addressing the issues they identify as priorities, including housing costs, economic opportunity, education, health care and public safety. Community appearances create opportunities to hear those concerns and explain specific proposals; electoral support depends on whether voters find the answers persuasive.

A Donalds victory would make him Florida’s first Black governor. Orange County could help shape the outcome through the Democratic advantage Jolly builds or the margin Donalds narrows.

What would most influence your choice for Florida’s next governor: party affiliation, the candidate’s record or specific policy proposals — and why?