Story perspectives

Donalds Leads Jolly by Two Points in UNF Poll

By Drooid · Oct 23, 2026, 3:18 PM UTC · How we work

Center

$146M War Chest

U.S. Representative Byron Donalds and running mate Bryan Avila launched a statewide bus-tour campaign on Oct. 20, 2026, visiting multiple Florida locations.
A University of North Florida poll shows Donalds ahead of Democrat David Jolly by two points, a margin within the poll’s error range.
Donalds pledged to continue Governor Ron DeSantis’s policies and focus on education and public safety.
The campaign reported a $146 million war chest as of its latest filing.

Left

Charter Profit Ethics

Republican U.S. Representative Byron Donalds and lieutenant-governor candidate Bryan Avila launched a statewide bus-tour on Oct. 20, 2026, stopping in Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota.
Coverage highlights concerns that Erika Donalds’ for-profit charter-school companies have earned millions from state contracts, raising ethics questions about Representative Donalds’ ties.
Avila compared Democrats to invasive species, naming lionfish and pythons.
A Republican activist was escorted out after yelling at Donalds during the Sarasota stop.

Blindspot

Erika Donalds’ charter-school companies have earned millions from Florida state contracts, a situation the Tampa Bay Times said could raise ethics questions.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

Charter growth built on federal momentum: the 1994 Charter Schools Program, expanded by the 1998 Charter Schools Expansion Act, funded $138 million in 2010, while Republican-controlled legislatures with low test scores favored expansion (Mintrom & Vergari 1997). In 2012 Governor Rick Scott signed Florida’s Charter School Expansion Act, opening sizable contracts for operators such as Charter Schools USA, a model echoed today by Byron Donalds.

1 of 4

$146M War Chest

U.S. Representative Byron Donalds and running mate Bryan Avila launched a statewide bus-tour campaign on Oct. 20, 2026, visiting multiple Florida locations.
A University of North Florida poll shows Donalds ahead of Democrat David Jolly by two points, a margin within the poll’s error range.
Donalds pledged to continue Governor Ron DeSantis’s policies and focus on education and public safety.
The campaign reported a $146 million war chest as of its latest filing.

1 / 4