Florida gubernatorial candidates face debate impasse and campaign shifts

Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly has announced he will not participate in debates with Republican nominee Byron Donalds ahead of the November 3 election. Jolly cited Donalds’ “repeated lies and bad faith,” stating that debates under such conditions would fuel division rather than foster constructive dialogue. The impasse follows weeks of mutual accusations regarding scheduling and logistics, as both campaigns had accepted different debate invitations. If no agreement is reached, this would mark Florida’s first gubernatorial election without a debate since 1974.

Separately, Byron Donalds has made significant changes to his campaign website, removing or de-emphasizing prominent references to Donald Trump. Previously, the site featured Trump’s endorsement and photos prominently, but the updated version places the endorsement within a carousel of other conservative figures, such as Elon Musk and Mike Johnson. While a campaign spokesperson stated that Donalds remains proud of the endorsement, the shift is viewed as an attempt to distance the campaign from the president’s popularity ahead of the general election.

In other campaign developments, Donalds received endorsements from Jay Collins and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Florida PAC, with the latter citing his stances on insurance costs and small business transparency.