Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly, a former Republican member of Congress, is going back to his roots and soliciting support from a GOP lobbyist.
On Thursday, a representative from Jolly’s campaign sent a personalized email to Sam Geduldig, a managing partner at the Republican lobbying firm CGCN, inviting Geduldig to a fundraiser and requesting a meeting.
“I am reaching out on behalf of David Jolly, the Democratic Nominee for Governor of Florida. We would love to schedule a meeting for you and David to discuss his campaign when he is in Washington, DC on September 16th,” the email reads, later adding, “if you are not able to join us for either event or would prefer some 1:1 time with David, let us know.”
Geduldig, a staunch Republican and Trump supporter, is a prolific GOP donor, per Federal Election Committee records. Additionally, Harrison Fields, a partner at CGCN, previously served as senior adviser and communications director to Jolly’s Republican opponent, Rep. Byron Donalds.
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A former lobbyist himself, Jolly has long made fighting corruption and special interests part of his political identity. He introduced an unsuccessful bill in 2016 that would ban members of Congress from directly soliciting campaign contributions, and he previously called for a ban on political donations from lobbyists.
“A former lobbyist asking lobbyists for money while complaining about lobbyist influence is next-level hypocrisy,” Geduldig said in a statement to NOTUS.
Mark Riddle, a senior adviser for the Jolly campaign, told NOTUS, “Neither our Florida nor our national finance leads knows this person,” referring to Geduldig.
“However, with Jolly now ahead, and Cook shifting the race in our favor, everyday Republicans in Tallahassee and D.C. have been lighting up our phones asking for meetings,” Riddle wrote. “Let the games begin.”
Jolly served as a Republican congressman for one term before attempting to run for Senate in 2016, but later reversed course and ran for reelection to his House seat. He lost to former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who also left the GOP and joined the Democratic Party during the Obama administration.
While Jolly tapped a longtime Florida lobbyist in June to lead his transition team, he has emphasized an anti-corruption message as a strategy to reach voters across the political spectrum.
“People feel the economic crisis, they’re exhausted by culture wars, they can smell corruption from Washington and Tallahassee,” Jolly told Politico this summer, “and so they’re performing in ways that don’t reflect voter registration.”
The Cook Political Report recently shifted the Florida gubernatorial election from “solidly Republican” to “likely Republican,” noting Jolly would still need a “significant financial boost” to compete with Donalds.
Lobbyists are a reliable source of campaign cash for members of Congress, and campaign contributions are an age-old way to open the door or build relationships with candidates and lawmakers. Even Geduldig has donated to a few Democrats over the years.
CGCN is one of the few all-Republican firms on K Street, and securing donations from the firm would also be a boon to the cross-party message the Jolly campaign is trying to cultivate. The Jolly campaign website says the gubernatorial race “isn’t about party,” and the email from Jolly’s team to Geduldig argues, “David can reach well beyond the traditional Democratic base.”
Other Republicans have proved willing to cross the aisle to back Democrats during the 2026 midterm election cycle, including a former staffer for Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). After Cornyn lost his Senate primary, the staffer joined the Senate campaign for Democrat James Talarico, a move first reported by NOTUS.
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