Democrats can win for Governor and Senator in Florida this year, but their chances would be a lot better if they wised up on down ballot issues.
People need to realize the importance of down ballot candidates in statewide elections. Even if it’s a strongly Republican district and the Dem loses, a good turnout for Democrats means that many more votes for the top of the ticket. So it makes good sense for candidates like Andrew Gillum and Bill Nelson to give full throated endorsements to State legislative races. For example:
Kathy Lewis is an inspiring African American Democratic candidate for State Senate — who along with Faith Olivia Babis - is running on a disability rights platform. Yet a leading Democrat is supporting Lewis’s opponent, and both races have been largely invisible to Gillum and Nelson.
1. The Turncoat Commissioner
Kathy’s opponent is Republican Tom Lee, yet powerful Democratic Hillsborough County Commissioner (also African American), Les Miller is supporting Kathy’s opponent, Republican Tom Lee. In fact, Miller is on Lee’s host committee. Lee, in turn, is strongly supporting odious (and racist) Ron DeSantis for Governor. How can any Democrat lend support to someone who welcomes racists like DeSantis and Matt Gaetz.
It’s unacceptable and Miller should be feeling the full brunt of the FL Democratic Party for this. We’re no longer (if we ever were) in a world where a Democrat like DWS endorsed her R friends for Congress. Just Stop.
“Maybe its local power politics, but at some point you are with the party or you’re not,” said Ferguson Reid Jr., founder of 90for90.org.
2. The Quiet Top of the Ticket
While it’s true enthusiasm about Andrew Gillum will likely help down ballot candidates in FL, he and Bill Nelson will help themselves if they formally and enthusiastically endorse candidates like Kathy Lewis and Faith Babis. Gillum and Nelson have been relatively silent about these candidates, even though Kathy Lewis is the only African America woman running for the State Senate in FL.
As those of us who got a crash course on FL geography in 2000 remember ruefully, Hillsborough County is a critical FL County and Gillum and Nelson can use every last vote in November.