In Bradenton campaign stop, governor candidate Andrew Gillum says he wants to make history
Friday’s visit to Manatee County was not a first for Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.
It was just after 9 a.m. when his tour bus creeped to a stop outside the Manatee’s Democratic headquarters, off Cortez Road. Pictures of the mayor lined both sides of the bus, flanked by messages that read, “Andrew Gillum for Governor,” and, “Take it Home.”
Gillum emerged from the bus and supporters greeted him with a round of hugs before everyone filed into the office.
“Outside of a few major metropolitan areas, there are few places I’ve been to more than Sarasota and Manatee,” he said. “I want you all to know I’m down here because you all matter.”
The mayor of Tallahassee since 2014, Gillum said he wants to become the first person of color to serve as Florida’s governor. Tuesday not only marks the primary election, he said, but also the anniversary of several historic events.
On Aug. 28, 1955, Emmett Till was hanged in Mississippi. On the same day in 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. And on Aug. 28, 2008, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president.
Gillum’s statewide bus tour will end in Gainesville, his hometown, on Saturday — the day early voting ends.
During his stop in Bradenton, Gillum promised to fight for education funding, criminal justice reform and nature conservation. He then regrouped with supporters at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office.
His efforts were bolstered last week when U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders rallied for him in Tampa. Days later, Politico reported that Gillium would receive another $650,000 in donations between Tom Steyer, George Soros and other affiliated donors.
Along with Gillum, the Democratic candidates include U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, real estate tycoon Jeff Greene and businessman Chris King.
The Republican candidates are U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis and Adam Putnam, the Florida commissioner of agriculture.
Several elected officials and political hopefuls joined the event on Friday. Manatee Commissioner Charles Smith and state House candidate Liv Coleman were present, along with representatives for U.S. House candidate David Shapiro and state Rep. Wengay Newton, D-St. Petersburg.
Shelli Eddie, a Sarasota County commissioner, said she spoke with Gillium for more than an hour before publicly endorsing him at Friday’s event.
“A lot of times, as you know, in Manatee we often get overlooked because we aren’t as big as a Tampa or a Miami or an Orlando,” she said. “but we still have the same needs, the same issues and the same requirements for resources.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2018 at 2:42 PM.