The Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Florida, David Jolly, announced this Sunday that he will not participate in debates with his Republican rival Byron Donalds before the elections on November 3, following weeks of disagreements between both campaigns regarding where and under what conditions they should be held.
The decision represents a shift from the position Jolly had expressed just a few days earlier, when he was still publicly advocating for the possibility of sitting down with Donalds in a format he deemed constructive.
This Sunday, however, the Democrat summarized his new stance with a phrase posted on his social media: "You can't debate with a liar".
Jolly accompanied the message with a clip from a television interview in which he was questioned about the possibility of debating Donalds.
Shortly thereafter, his campaign officially confirmed that he would not participate in those meetings, attributing the decision to what it considers "repeated lies" and "bad faith" on the part of his opponent, accusations that Donalds rejects.
“It is evident, given the tone of the current campaign environment, including Byron’s repeated lies and bad faith, that the debates in this cycle would not generate a constructive and honest conversation, but rather would only further inflame division, animosity, and ill will,” Jolly stated in the statement, according to Tampa Bay Times.
The decision comes after several weeks in which both campaigns accused each other of obstructing the debates.
In early September, Jolly stated that Donalds had withdrawn from a joint appearance scheduled at the Tampa Tiger Bay Club. A board member of that organization confirmed to Florida Phoenix that the Republican campaign had initially agreed to a joint presentation, later requested that the candidates attend separately, and finally communicated that Donalds would not be attending.
A source close to the Republican campaign provided a different account and asserted that Donalds' participation had never been confirmed on his schedule.
Jolly had also agreed to participate in a meeting moderated by journalist Jim DeFede from CBS Miami.
Still on September 17, during an interview on CNN, the Democrat publicly defended holding a meeting with his rival.
"Voters deserve a conversation with the candidates," Jolly stated, expressing his willingness to participate in "a structured environment" where both could present their positions without turning the meeting into a spectacle of applause and booing.
The situation changed a day later.
On Friday, Donald's campaign announced that it had accepted three debate proposals: on September 29 at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee; on October 13 with News4Jax in North Florida; and on October 22 with Telemundo and NBC 6 in South Florida.
The Republican team proposed a format with two podiums, without an audience and focused on public policies.
"Floridians deserve to see these two candidates side by side and hear exactly what they would do as governor," stated Ryan Smith, Donalds' chief strategist.
The Jolly campaign responded that it had not been consulted prior to those dates.
"We learned about it through a press release," explained the Democrat, who initially stated that he would study the proposals. His advisors added that "the terms of when and where we debate will not be dictated to us by Byron Donalds."
Two days later, Jolly decided not to participate in any of them.
The confrontation also has a precedent in the primaries. Donalds rejected the debate requests from his Republican rivals, while consolidating his gubernatorial candidacy.
Jolly has now used that record to challenge the Republican's claims and asserts that he will continue to focus on direct engagement with voters.
According to their campaign, they have participated in over 300 assemblies and community meetings in the past 18 months and will continue holding in-person and virtual events in the remaining weeks.
The absence of a face-to-face meeting between the gubernatorial candidates would not be an isolated incident this year. Other candidates for state and federal positions in Florida have also failed to agree on debates, amidst mutual accusations between campaigns regarding who is rejecting invitations.
The dispute also arises as recent polls show narrow differences between the two candidates, although the figures vary depending on the survey and remain subject to their respective margins of error.
Donalds and Jolly compete to succeed Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who is unable to seek a third consecutive term.
Jolly stated that he will dedicate the last six weeks of the campaign to traveling around Florida and meeting with Republican and Democratic voters.
"I eagerly anticipate the last six weeks of this campaign, touring the state and meeting with voters in their communities," he concluded.
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