South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Bracy is considering run for governor
TALLAHASSEE — State Sen. Randolph Bracy is considering running for governor in 2022, according to a source close to the Democrat from Ocoee.
He has met with political consultants, had informal talks with Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee in 2018 who narrowly lost to Gov. Ron DeSantis, and is looking to boost his profile among Democratic voters statewide as he weighs getting in what could become another crowded Democratic primary.
The possibility of a Bracy bid comes as the Democratic field is coming into focus, even though qualifying is more than one year away.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is seriously considering a run and released a campaign-style video last week bashing DeSantis’ response to the pandemic. She has consistently criticized DeSantis and has been raising money with her attempts to push back on his decisions, such as when she said she wouldn’t lower U.S. flags under her control despite his order to lower them to honor the late firebrand conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.
Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Miami Democrat who had been named as a potential candidate, said Monday he’d forgo getting in the governor race and run for reelection instead.
There are plenty of other potential candidates, however, and much could change before qualifying begins in June 2022.
Other possible Democratic candidates include U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, state Rep. Anna Eskamani, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who previously held the governor’s mansion as a Republican from 2007 to 2011. U.S. Rep. Val Demings is also eyeing the governor’s race or a U.S. Senate race against incumbent Republican Marco Rubio.
The possible challengers are more well-known than Bracy, but a large field with no other African-American candidates — if Demings doesn’t get in the race — could help Bracy, who is Black.
A field of five candidates helped Gillum, an African American, win the nomination in 2018 with 34.4% of the vote.
Bracy has served in the Legislature since 2012 when he was elected to the House. He won a race for Senate in 2016 in District 11, which includes Maitland, Apopka, Winter Garden and part of Orlando.
While in office he has championed criminal justice and police reforms.
Many of the proposals have been ignored or rejected by Republicans in charge of the Legislature, such as last summer when his call for a special session to address police brutality and bias against African-Americans in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police was turned down.
But Bracy has also worked with Republican leaders behind the scenes to reach compromises.
grohrer@ orlandosentinel.com