On Thursday, Republican David Jolly launched his campaign to run for the congressional seat that his old boss, the late U.S. Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., held for more than four decades. Jolly served as senior adviser and general counsel to Young and Beverly Young, the congressmans widow, is supporting the new candidate.
It is with great humility that I announce my official candidacy to represent the people of Floridas 13th Congressional District and Pinellas County in our nations capital, said Jolly, at a media event in Indian Shores on Thursday. The loss of our dear Congressman Young leaves an immeasurable void in the Congress of the United States, but also in our Pinellas County communities. This is what this race is about to me.
Jolly will compete in the special primary election set for Jan. 14. While candidates have until Nov. 19 to file, the only candidate seeking the Republican nomination so far besides Jolly is Republican activist Nick Zoeller. Former state CFO Alex Sink is running for the Democratic nomination. The general election will be held on March 11.
As he kicked off his campaign, Jolly pointed to his credentials working with Young as to why he would do well in Congress. Ive worked on behalf of our community and this congressional district for 20 years alongside our late congressman, as he consistently found ways to grow high-tech and defense manufacturing jobs here at home, invest in transportation and infrastructure improvements that affect our quality of life, expand higher education opportunities, protect and nourish our beaches, and support our men and women in uniform, Jolly said.
Beverly Young, whose name was bandied about as a possible candidate, said Jolly worked alongside her husband and would carry on in his footsteps.
I am here today to express my full support for Davids candidacy to continue Bills good work and wonderful legacy on behalf of our community, said Young. I have seen David work with Bill on very difficult issues and he is brilliant. But, I have also seen Davids compassion as he sat in hospital rooms with wounded service members, providing friendship and encouragement to our heroes while fighting fiercely on their behalf. David not only has the right relationships and tried-and-true experience to be successful in this position, but his heart is in the right place, and I am confident he will serve the people of District 13 with integrity and with true purpose to help the people who need it most.
It is my sole intent to pursue the opportunity to serve the people and interests of Congressional District 13 responsibly, to seek consensus whenever possible, and to lead with conviction, clarity and understanding when it is not, insisted Jolly. Lets start today and run a people-to-people campaign that focuses on the qualifications of our candidates, engages in constructive dialogue on issues that matter, and pledges to dispel the partisan rancor and rhetoric that is so typical in politics today.
Democrats quickly took their shots at the new candidate and highlighted Jollys ties in Washington, D.C. After Washington lobbyist David Jolly cashed in on his political connections and manipulated the dysfunctional politics of D.C. to enrich himself at the expense of middle-class Floridians, its impossible to trust Jolly to look out for Pinellas residents in Congress, said Joshua Karp, a spokesman for the Florida Democratic Party. Its exactly Jollys brand of dysfunctional politics that is standing in the way of solutions to solving problems at every turn and represents everything that Floridians hate about Washington. The facts are that if Jolly went back to Washington, hed do what lobbyists always do: make Congress even worse.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
