- Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut, a Black Democrat, endorsed Republican Byron Donalds for Florida governor, citing lack of diversity in the Democratic ticket.
- Alachua County Democrats largely support Democrat David Jolly who leads in local endorsements and polls despite Chestnut's opposition.
- Chestnut criticized the Democratic ticket's selection of Gwen Graham as lieutenant governor candidate, calling it a setback for Black and Hispanic voter outreach.
Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut, a leading local Democratic Party leader and former member of the Florida House, endorsed Republican candidate Byron Donalds for Florida governor last week, sparking rumors that it was a false endorsement and landing with a shock once confirmed.
“My endorsement of Byron Donalds is not a betrayal of my values; it is a declaration that Black voters are not political property,” Chestnut said in a Facebook post. “We are not to be taken for granted, spoken to only during election season, or expected to fall in line while our concerns are ignored.”
Chestnut affirmed that she is a Black Democrat and is not confused about what she believes.
Alachua County, with Gainesville at the center, has long been a Democratic stronghold in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis failed to win the county by just over 14,000 votes in his easy 2022 return to office against Charlie Crist. According to an NBC exit poll from that race, Black voters backed Crist by 86%.
The Democratic Party selected David Jolly as its candidate to face Donalds. A July poll from the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab showed similar Black support, with 83% saying they’d vote for Jolly versus only 6% selecting Donalds.
That poll, conducted with 848 participants, gave Donalds a slight edge—46% to 41%, with the difference resulting from indecisive voters.
Chestnut, who hosted an event with Jolly in May, said his selection of former Congresswoman Gwen Graham as lieutenant governor was the source of the dispute.
She said the Democratic ticket had an opportunity to reflect the party’s full strength and diversity but failed to do so. Qualified Black and Hispanic men and women were available to run with Jolly, she said.
“Instead, the decision sent a painful message that too many of us know all too well: our votes are welcome, and even expected, but our leadership is negotiable. I refuse to accept that,” Chestnut said.
Chestnut said on The Good News Report that Jolly had asked Black leaders about running, but she said he asked people who would give a definite ‘no’ if asked to run because they already serve in high positions. Chestnut said the ticket needs to help the Democratic Party recapture votes of Black males and Hispanics and called the current ticket a step backward.
After voicing her disagreement, Chestnut said she was ignored. With encouragement from Republican friends, she spoke with Donalds and then changed her endorsement.
Jolly joined other members of the Gainesville City Commission in Gainesville at a gathering of Democratic Party supporters over the weekend. Congressional candidate Angie Nixon also visited to tailgate ahead of the UF football game.
On Monday, the Alachua County Democratic Executive Committee sent a press release announcing 12 endorsements for Jolly—all of them from Democratic members in local elected office. The release calls for additional unity on this race.
“We’re a group of people who don’t agree on everything. That’s exactly why we’re standing together on this one,” the release said. “Florida has real problems that don’t care what party you belong to, and David Jolly is the candidate who’s actually offering a plan to fix them.”
Chestnut is also the former president of the Alachua County Democratic Party.
Commissioner Bryan Eastman posted his endorsement of Jolly on Facebook as well as in the release.
“Everybody’s got their reasons for who they’re supporting in this governor’s race. I know mine. Who’s going to make life better for the people I represent? Who’s going to fight for affordable utilities, affordable healthcare, lower costs, and stop Gainesville from getting steamrolled by things like massive data centers?” Eastman said.
Mayor Harvey Ward also encouraged residents to vote for Jolly, along with other Democratic candidates, in November and not to get off track from the Chestnut endorsement.
“Y’all, don’t get distracted. Find these names on your ballot and VOTE when you get the chance,” Ward said.
When asked in the comments about Chestnut’s endorsement of Donalds, he said to reach out to Chestnut directly and added that “This is what I mean by ‘Don’t get distracted.'”
David Arreola, a former Gainesville commissioner, said the endorsement felt like a cartoon movie.
“I go inside to watch Wiley E. Coyote v. ACME and come out to a Gainesville City Commissioner endorsing Byron Donalds, am I still in the ACME movie universe??” Arreola asked on Facebook.
In her explanation post, Chestnut said Donalds should be invited in and given a chance to talk about charter schools, property taxes, voting rights and economic opportunities.
“Let him answer us directly. Do not let party bosses, political insiders, or anyone else decide which Black leaders we are allowed to consider,” Chestnut said.
She also outlined a similar background with Donalds and shared support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Chestnut and Donalds both attended Florida A&M University.
Chestnut said the decision also represents a milestone that could come for Florida.
“I want to see a Black governor of Florida in my lifetime, and I will not apologize for saying so,” Chestnut said.
For more details, you can view the entire post on Facebook.