The latest finance reports show Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds has raised more than seven times the amount Democrat David Jolly has. Jolly said Donalds' flurry of advertisements is having an effect with voters.
Jolly said a top Republican consultant said last week the only way he'll lose the race is if national Democrats choose "to take a pass on Florida," like they have for the past 10 years.
Speaking to reporters after his talk, Jolly said he needs more help to counter some of Donalds' claims.
"If we lose this race because Byron's able to convince voters of something that's not true, when all we need is a little bit from national Democrats to come in and shore up this race, arguably prosecute the case against Byron, I'm not going to have the resources to do that," he said.
"If the national party doesn't come in, I worry about this race. I do." - David Jolly
"I need more resources to get my message out, but it would be helpful if somebody would at least try to keep Byron honest over these next 4 or 5 weeks," Jolly said. "If the national party doesn't come in, I worry about this race. I do."
He also lit into Gov. Ron DeSantis' penchant for preemptions, where Tallahassee takes over functions that were previously left to local governments.
"I will be a Democratic governor that fights to undo preemption everywhere I can, whether it's by executive action or working with the legislature or whether it's using the governor's office to go into court to fight our own laws," Jolly said. "Whether it's how you manage your local elections, whether it's you want to paint a sidewalk, whether it's how you determine development in your own community."
Jolly said his campaign is focusing on affordable housing, health care and giving first-time homeowners a break on their property taxes. He opposes the property tax cut amendment on November's ballot, saying it would handcuff local governments and concentrate more power in Tallahassee.
He said he would also fire state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and pledges to close the "Deportation Depot" immigration detention center in the panhandle.
