Don’t be too quick to call Florida’s race for governor

It’s a great time to be a Democrat in Florida. We have a historic wind at our backs — the kind we haven’t seen in more than a decade — Sen. Bill Nelson leads polling for re-election, and many state legislative seats could be in contention this fall. We also have the first competitive primary for governor in several election cycles — but not everyone sees it that way.

Recently, former Rep. Gwen Graham, a candidate for governor, told the Florida Keys News that she’s “the only Democrat who can win.”

I respect the congresswoman and her family’s long legacy of service, but her assertion couldn’t be further from the truth. Right now, the race for governor is wide open. Voters are just learning about the candidates — and the more they learn about Andrew Gillum, the more they’re excited by his progressive vision.

Florida’s Democrats are hungry for authentic progressives this year. They’re ready to vote for a leader who is fighting for higher wages for working families, expanding quality, affordable health care for all, defending our environment, protecting the rights of every Floridian, and taking meaningful action on gun safety.

That’s why Gillum has emerged as the real progressive in the race for governor, and why the media has called him the “Democrat catching fire” who is “speaking from that true progressive playbook.”

A real chance for a true progressive as governor is why Gillum’s earned the endorsement of members of Congress, former Florida Democratic Party chairs, President Obama’s former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, Our Revolution, and dozens of state and local elected officials and leaders.

Progressive values without leadership means nothing, though. Gillum is the most experienced candidate, with 15 years of elected public service. As mayor, he’s led Florida’s fastest-growing local economy and his city was recognized by President Obama as a Tech Hire city promoting local tech industry growth. Under his leadership, he “banned the box” that prevented ex-felons from getting jobs, led on alternative justice programs, and made the Tallahassee safer as he lowered violent crime by more than 10 percent.

This year, Democrats know more than ever who’s really in their corner. They know it’s not someone who proudly declared she was a “very conservative Democrat” and they know it isn’t someone who said she was the only Democrat who could win statewide.

I’m proud to stand with Andrew Gillum, and I deeply respect the other candidates in this primary. It has been a long time since we saw a field of gubernatorial candidates this diverse in their thinking, their backgrounds, and their approaches.

While we’re standing with the most progressive and qualified candidate in this race, we don’t believe any candidate should knock their fellow Democrats with hollow claims that they’re “the only Democrat who can win.” Only the voters will decide that on Aug. 28. May the best Democrat win.