David Jolly, the former congressman who is running for the Democratic nomination for Florida governor, said what Gov. Ron DeSantis has done to the University of West Florida is “wrong.”
“I think UWF was an incredible success story under (former UWF president) Martha Saunders, an incredible success story,” Jolly told the News Journal during a stop in Pensacola on March 10. “There’s a reason she was respected and beloved by the community — Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike.”
Jolly said not only are students hurt by the governor’s interference in higher education, but so is the state and local economy.
“I think it was wrong for the governor to step in and try to shatter the leadership and install somebody that would be an ideological advocate for the governor,” Jolly said.
Last year, DeSantis pushed multiple new appointments to the UWF board of trustees, some with little to no ties to UWF. Saunders ultimately retired, and the trustees elected DeSantis’ former Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. as the president.
Jolly said if he is governor, he will work to remove the politics that DeSantis has injected into universities.
“Get the politicians out of it,” Jolly said. “Set the broad principle that the state university system should focus on Florida’s economy, not our ideology.”
As far as removing the trustees who DeSantis had appointed, Jolly said he would if it was necessary.
“Where it is necessary, certainly, I would do that,” Jolly said. “But I want to surround myself with people smarter and more capable than I am, who best understand who should help lead our universities.”
Jolly said he doesn’t believe it’s the governor’s job to micromanage universities.
“Where there are clearly unqualified people that have been appointed by DeSantis, that is an area where I think we have to consider cleaning house,” Jolly said. “But if I were to do it, it would be with extreme prudence and trusting that if we get the Board of Governors right in the state university system, if we get our university presidents right, that their leadership will help us determine who the adults are that should lead our universities.”
Ten years ago, Jolly was a Republican congressman, but today he is one of the top contenders to become the Democratic Party nominee for Florida governor.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is the other top contender who has filed to run so far on the Democratic Party ticket.
For his part, Jolly entered the race last year convinced that a Democrat could still win in Florida.
“Now, almost a year into it, I say I’m afraid we might win this thing,” Jolly said.
Jolly said the continuing fallout of the decisions of the administration of President Donald Trump will continue to push voters away from the Republican Party.
“What I’ll tell you is we’ve seen across the state is kind of an organic movement that reflects the results that started here in Escambia County with the CD-1 special election,” Jolly said, referring to the April 1, 2025, election where Democrat Gay Valimont won Escambia County, the first Democrat to do so in 30 years. Valimont lost the seat, however, to Jimmy Patronis.
Jolly was in Pensacola on March 10 to campaign and appeared at the Brownsville Library to a group of Black senior women and Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May, who is one of many Democrats to endorse Jolly.
May told the group that since he endorsed Jolly, people ask him about Jolly’s past as a Republican, and May says he responds with the Bible story of the conversion of Paul the Apostle on the road to Damascus.
“Paul went throughout the world saving more people because the Lord changed him,” May said. “And I’m glad to be a part of this change because Florida wants a change, and David Jolly is the man to give us that change.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: David Jolly says DeSantis was ‘wrong’ to ‘shatter leadership’ of UWF
Reporting by Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
