TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Andrew Gillum says he can win the Florida governor’s by attracting new voters to the polls instead of simply trying to corral support from the usual electorate.
If he’s successful, it would upend a decades-old trend of Republican dominance in Florida’s midterm elections. It could also help vulnerable Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
Gillum is the 39-year-old mayor of Tallahassee who would become Florida’s first black governor. He’s a favorite of the progressive movement that has flourished with its opposition to President Donald Trump. Nelson is a 75-year-old white centrist.
Gillum faces Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis. Nelson faces two-term Republican Gov. Rick Scott.
Democrats would get a boost reclaiming a governor’s seat in a key presidential battleground. Nelson’s seat is key to Democrats narrow hopes of winning a Senate majority