Obama backs Jolly for governor and Nixon for Senate in videos; Trump rallied for Donalds and Moody in Fort Myers and has a Daytona rally set for Oct. 30

President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a midterm rally in Daytona on Friday, Oct. 30, according to an event page on GOP.com that says it was paid for by Trump 47 Committee Inc. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and remarks begin at 7 p.m.; as of Oct. 25 the page listed the venue as “To Be Announced” and named no candidates.¹

Former President Barack Obama endorsed two Democrats running statewide in Florida in video messages released Oct. 24: David Jolly for governor and Angie Nixon for the U.S. Senate special election. Each campaign posted a release on its website.²³

Obama’s videos

According to the release from Jolly’s campaign, Obama says in the video, “I’m supporting David Jolly for Governor,” and describes him as “focused on lowering the cost of housing and healthcare.” The video ends, “Vote for David Jolly.”²

In a statement that the release from Nixon’s campaign attributes to Obama, he says that he and Nixon “both got our start as organizers” and cites her support for a “$15 minimum wage.” He asks voters to “cast your vote for Angie Nixon on or before November 3.”³ Action News Jax reported that the Nixon video was posted on her Facebook page.⁴ The text of neither release names an opposing candidate.²³

Trump in Fort Myers

Trump spoke at a midterm rally in Fort Myers on Oct. 23. CBS News Miami reported that the event was held at Alico Arena on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus.⁵ Early in the speech, according to the Roll Call Factba.se transcript, Trump said, “the people of Florida are going to elect Byron Donalds as your next governor” and “we’re going to elect Ashley Moody to the United States Senate.”⁶ Both are Republicans.⁷

The transcript also records Trump naming the Democratic candidates in both races. He said voters should defeat “the radical left Democrat candidate for governor, David Jolly,” and said “Angie Nixon voted to reject Florida values every single time.”⁶ Action News Jax reported that Trump appeared at the rally with Moody and Donalds, and that he posted on Truth Social on Oct. 22 urging Floridians to vote for Moody.⁴

Who is on the ballot

The Division of Elections candidate list for the Nov. 3 general election shows these qualified candidates, alphabetically by last name, with party as the Division lists it.⁷

Governor: eight candidates, plus two qualified write-in candidates.

• Dean Abrams, no party affiliation
• Charles Burkett, no party affiliation
• Jeffrey Datto, no party affiliation
• Moe Dimanche, no party affiliation
• Byron Donalds, Republican
• Scott Jewett, Libertarian Party of Florida
• David Jolly, Democrat
• Frank Russo, no party affiliation
• Write-in: Kathy Anderson and Erik Morris

U.S. Senate (special election): three candidates; the list shows no qualified write-in candidate.

• Neil Gillespie, no party affiliation
• Ashley Moody, Republican
• Angie Nixon, Democrat

What the records do not show

• SignalData could not open Obama’s own website or social media accounts; the videos’ content here is from the two campaigns’ releases. Nixon’s release links to the video but gives no transcript, so the words quoted from it are from the statement the release attributes to Obama.
• The Factba.se transcript does not name the Fort Myers venue; the location is from CBS News Miami.
• SignalData did not open Trump’s Truth Social post; its date and content are from Action News Jax.
• The GOP.com event page does not say whether any Florida candidate will appear in Daytona.
• SignalData did not search for endorsements by other national figures of the remaining candidates in either race.
• The Division of Elections candidate list cited is the version pulled Oct. 16; the Division’s site could not be opened from SignalData’s tools on Oct. 25.