Democratic Progressive Caucus Of FL Endorses Dayna Marie Foster For Governor In Primary Election

By Mitch Perry and Diane Roberts, Florida Phoenix

August 6, 2026

In a reflection that Florida progressives still aren’t comfortable with a former Republican as their standard-bearer for governor this fall, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida has endorsed educator Dayna Marie Foster for governor in the Aug. 18 primary election.

The 32-year-old Foster resides in Fort Lauderdale and has never run for public office before. She’s raised just over $30,000 in campaign contributions and has received virtually no media attention. She is running on a platform of expanding affordable housing, abolishing 287(g) immigration agreements across the state, and banning data centers.

“Dayna provides a positive vision, ingrained in an idea that Floridians shouldn’t just be granted scraps, but the whole plate,” Matthew Grocholske, president of the Democratic Progressive Caucus, said Thursday.

“Over the past year, she has run a principled campaign that speaks to voters disappointed with the institutions of the Florida Democratic Party anointing a former Republican Congressman as the ‘presumptive nominee’ for Governor.”

That former Republican, of course, is David Jolly, who didn’t become a Democrat until April of last year. His selection of former North Florida U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham has solidified that the ticket is decidedly centrist. Whether that is the right strategy remains to be seen, but the fact is that there are now 1.5 million more registered Republicans than Democrats in Florida.

“As a public-school teacher, I’ve seen the consequences of political failure up close,” Foster said in a written statement. “Working families deserve leaders who will lower the cost of living, expand healthcare, fully fund public education, protect our freedoms, and build an economy where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. I’m grateful for this endorsement because it reflects what this campaign has always been about: putting people first and moving Florida forward.”

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