NewsWUSF (NPR Tampa Bay) — PoliticsOctober 28, 2026Hillsborough County
PolitiFact rates David Jolly's claim about Byron Donalds and Jim Crow as Half True
Photo: WUSF (NPR Tampa Bay) — Politics
PolitiFact evaluates a statement by Florida gubernatorial candidate David Jolly claiming that U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds suggested there were good parts of the Jim Crow era. The fact-checking organization concludes the claim lacks context because Donalds was discussing historical Black family structures and marriage rates rather than endorsing the era's discriminatory policies.
Read the full story at WUSF (NPR Tampa Bay) — PoliticsWhy It Matters
Voters evaluating statements made by political candidates on civil rights history receive an independent factual assessment of what was actually said and meant.
Key Facts
- Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly stated during an Oct. 20 campaign stop that his opponent, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, suggested there were good parts of Jim Crow.
- PolitiFact rated Jolly's statement as Half True, finding it lacked context.
- Donalds' 2024 remarks in Philadelphia focused on Black family structures, marriage rates, and conservative leanings during the Jim Crow era, rather than praising discriminatory laws.
- Donalds pointed to higher marriage rates among Black families during that era and attributed their decline later to government safety net programs.
- Researchers note that various factors influenced changes in marriage and divorce rates over the decades, including economic shifts and job availability.
- Experts state that determining whether Black voters were more conservative during the Jim Crow era is difficult because Black people were largely disenfranchised in the South at the time.
Who's Mentioned
PersonLyndon Johnson“President”locationSouth“Region”OrganizationKoinonia Worship Center“Church in Hollywood, Florida”locationFlorida“State”PersonDonald Trump“President”PersonJoe Biden“President”PersonByron Donalds“U.S. Rep.”locationPhiladelphia“City”locationHollywood“City in Florida”OrganizationWLRN“Partnered with PolitiFact”PersonJennifer Palmieri“Former Obama White House Communications Director”PersonDavid Jolly“Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate”OrganizationPolitiFact“Fact-checking team”OrganizationThe Philadelphia Inquirer“Publication”OrganizationMSNBC“Media network”PersonBill Clinton“Former President”