[1] Jolly was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia and was educated at Kings County Academy and Mount Saint Vincent University.
She entered provincial politics in the 1988 election, defeating Progressive Consertvative cabinet minister Laird Stirling by 121 votes in the Dartmouth North riding.
[3][4] On June 11, 1993, Jolly was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Municipal Affairs.
[6] Jolly was left out of cabinet when Russell MacLellan took over as premier in July 1997,[7][8] and resigned as MLA in January 1998.
[9][10] This article about a Liberal party Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly is a stub.