Tag: Andrew Gillum

Not even an early-morning insult from Donald Trump could wipe the smile from Andrew Gillum’s face as he embraced his first full day as the newly elected and rather unexpected Democratic party candidate for Florida governor. “Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are both scraping from the bottom of the barrel,” he said on CNN. He was responding to the US president’s tweet praising Gillum’s freshly minted Republican opponent and blasting the Democrat as “a failed Socialist Mayor… who has allowed crime & many other problems to flourish in his city”. Gillum continued: “I actually believe that Florida and its rich diversity are going to be looking for a governor who is going to bring us together, not divide us. Not misogynist, not racist, not bigots, they’re going to be looking for a governor who is going to appeal to our higher aspirations as a state.” It was a strong statement of unity that has served the progressive liberal well, not only in his run for the nomination, backed by George Soros and Bernie Sanders, but throughout his political career. As a 23-year-old student at the historically black Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (Famu), Gillum championed a people-first approach to politics and more funding for education during his successful campaign to be the youngest person ever elected to Tallahassee’s city commission. When in office he pushed forward a number of community- and education-focused projects including providing technology for schools and opening a support and activities center for the city’s vulnerable youth. Play Video 0:56 During this year’s campaign he spoke often of his working-class roots and being the fifth of seven children born in Miami to a father who was a construction worker and a mother who drove school buses. Gillum also won eight of the 10 counties with Florida’s highest proportion of black residents. “My mother said the only thing in life you should ever ask for is a chance,” he said in a pre-election tweet.

Former RNC Chair Michael Steele says he doesn't give Ron DeSantis the benefit of the doubt on his "monkey" comment toward Andrew Gillum: "It's how white folks talk about black men who are successful." » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About:…

Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic nominee for Florida Governor Andrew Gillum joins MTP Daily to respond to his opponent's claim that he is a socialist. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About: MSNBC is the premier destination for in-depth analysis of daily…

Andrew Gillum, the Democratic candidate for Florida Governor, joins MTP Daily to discuss Ron DeSantis' remark telling voters not to "monkey" up the race this November. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About: MSNBC is the premier destination for in-depth analysis…

Fresh off his victory in the Florida Republican gubernatorial primary, Rep. Ron DeSantis said that voters would "monkey this up" if they elected his African-American opponent, Andrew Gillum to be governor because of his "socialist agenda."

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, upset winner of Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary, says his Republican opponent Ron DeSantis is taking a page from President Trump's political playbook. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to delivering breaking…

The Florida race for governor is getting off to a rocky start as the Republican nominee Ron DeSantis told voters not to "monkey this up" by electing his Democratic counterpart Andrew Gillum. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About: MSNBC is…

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum edged out former Rep. Gwen Graham in the Florida Democratic primary with 34.2 percent to Graham's 31.4 percent. Gillum joins Morning Joe to discuss his win and the road ahead. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About:…

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, the first black candidate to win a major-party gubernatorial nomination in Florida, says he won because he gave voters something to "vote for, not against."

Florida's wide-open race for governor attracted a long line of candidates, who in turn raised millions upon millions of dollars to fund their campaigns. The final tally for the seven main Republican and Democratic candidates ahead of next week's primary? Part of that total also includes $3.72 million that U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Gwen Graham and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum received in public matching money. Palm Beach businessman and billionaire Jeff Greene, one of the five main Democrats running, raised more than $43 million, although nearly all of it came from his own pockets. That total includes $5 million that Greene put in a newly formed political committee that he said he would use to help flip the GOP-controlled Florida Senate. His campaign and political committee raised more than $37 million. By the end of the day Friday, 1,640,089 votes had already been cast in Tuesday's primary election. There are still 1.4 million vote-by-mail ballots that were sent to voters but haven't been returned to election supervisors. Democratic candidate for agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried said Wells Fargo closed her bank account because of her pro-medical marijuana platform and the fact she has taken contributions from medical marijuana lobbyists. Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham: Early voting with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and a work day at a bakery.