Florida Candidates Rally as Early Voting Enters Final Week
Byron Donalds and David Jolly campaign for governor while Florida voters decide a U.S. Senate seat and a controversial property tax relief amendment.
Florida has entered the final week of early voting for several high-profile contests, including a gubernatorial race and a special U.S. Senate election to fill the remainder of Marco Rubio's term. In the Senate race, Republican incumbent Ashley Moody maintains a narrow lead over Democrat Angie Nixon, though Nixon leads among independent voters.
Republican nominee Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly held competing rallies in Tallahassee on Tuesday to mobilize their bases. Donalds emphasized government consistency and pledged to work with the legislature to lower insurance premiums and property taxes. Jolly, speaking at Cascades Park, argued that the state is exhausted by current political divisions and pledged to remove the state's Surgeon General on his first day in office. While some prediction markets favor Donalds, a recent UNF poll suggests the gubernatorial race is a toss-up.
Simultaneously, voters are weighing Amendment 3, a proposed property tax relief measure. Supporters claim the amendment protects homeowners from rising costs, but law enforcement leaders, including Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, warn that the resulting revenue loss will gut essential services such as animal control and school crossing guards.
