TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The Latest on the Florida governor’s race (all times local):
3:45 p.m.
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is picking up cash and lots of attention in the aftermath of his surprising win in Florida’s primary.
Andrew Gillum the Democrat candidate for governor answers questions during an interview on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2018, in Tallahassee, Fla.(AP Photo/Steve Cannon)
Gillum is seeking to become Florida’s first black governor. He edged out several Democrats in this week’s primary, including former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham.
Gillum raised less than $7 million ahead of the primary, a total far less than the other main contenders. But on Wednesday, the Democratic Governors Association gave $1 million to Gillum’s political committee.
The 39-year-old Democratic nominee is also getting plenty of exposure on national television and becoming quite popular on Twitter. Gillum’s campaign said that in the past 21 days he has gained 200,000 additional followers on Twitter. As of late Thursday, he had more than 241,000 followers.
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9:35 a.m.
Civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson is urging Floridians to focus on issues such as senior services, lower tuition for students, better wages and gender equality in a governor’s race that quickly heated up the day after the state’s primary.
Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Ron DeSantis assailed Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a Democrat, during a television interview Wednesday that critics denounced as racist. Gillum is seeking to become the state’s first black governor. DeSantis said the last thing “we need to do is monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting this state.”
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Jackson said DeSantis’ comment was “clearly a race-based message.”
He said voters should “take their anguish to the polls” in November.
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3:15 a.m.
Florida’s high-stakes race for governor has quickly become heated and personal, signaling that the next 10 weeks of campaigning until the general election could get ugly.
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a far-left Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Republican loyal to President Donald Trump, pulled off surprising primary victories Tuesday. Each is vying to succeed term-limited Gov. Rick Scott, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
DeSantis assailed Gillum in a Wednesday TV appearance that critics denounced as racist. Trump also weighed in on the race by calling Gillum a “failed socialist mayor” on Twitter.
Gillum, who is seeking to become the state’s first black governor, responded by decrying what he called the “gutter politics” of DeSantis – what he calls the echo of Trump’s influence on American politics.
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An earlier version of this report misspelled the first name of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Andrew Gillum and his wife, R. Jai Gillum addresses his supporters after Andrew Gillum won the Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, in Tallahassee, Fla. Gillum defeated former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and four other candidates. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon)
Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis, right, waves to supporters with his wife, Casey, at an election party after winning the Republican primary, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
FILE – In this July 31, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis during a rally in Tampa, Fla. Florida voters are going to the polls, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, to select nominees to replace Republican Gov. Rick Scott in an election that’s caught the attention of Trump. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File)
Rachelle Clegg holds an Andrew Gillum cutout as she cheers on gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum at his watch party at Hotel Duval in downtown Tallahassee, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018. (Joe Rondone/Tallahassee Democrat via AP)
FILE – In this Aug. 27, 2018, file photo, Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam speaks at a rally in Tampa, Fla. Florida voters are going to the polls to select nominees to replace Republican Gov. Rick Scott in an election that’s caught the attention of President Donald Trump and could see the daughter of a former governor win the nomination for the office he once held. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File)
FILE – In this Aug. 18, 2018, file photo Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham thanks a campaign volunteer, Juan Sabater, 20, of Miami as she speaks to voters in an early “Get Out The Vote” tour in Miami Lakes, Fla. Graham is trying to fend off four challengers as she seeks to become Florida’s first woman governor and to take the seat her father, Bob Graham, held from 1979 to 1987. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
FILE – In this Aug. 27, 2018, file photos, Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine, right, addresses the media near the scene of a mass shooting at The Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Fla. Florida voters are going to the polls to select nominees to replace Republican Gov. Rick Scott in an election that’s caught the attention of President Donald Trump and could see the daughter of a former governor win the nomination for the office he once held. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
FILE – In this Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, file photo, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham speaks to voters in an early “Get Out The Vote” tour, in Miami Lakes, Fla. Florida voters are going to the polls, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, to select nominees to replace Republican Gov. Rick Scott in an election that’s caught the attention of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum celebrates his victory with supporters during his election watch party at Hotel Duval in Tallahassee, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018. (Joe Rondone/Tallahassee Democrat via AP)
Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis, right, kisses his wife Casey at an election party after winning the Republican primary Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. DeSantis won Florida’s Republican nomination for governor Tuesday, with the help of President Donald Trump’s endorsement to overtake an opponent with a long history in Florida politics. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Andrew Gillum supporters Richard Lopez and Mara Cooper watch the screen as election results come in showing their candidate winning the Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon)
Andrew Gillum supporters celebrate his winning of the Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon)
Andrew Gillum kisses wife, R. Jai Gillum as he addresses his supporters after winning the Democrat primary for governor on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon)
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