Ex-U.S. Rep. decides not to run for governor
Jupiter ex-lawmaker pondered running with Republican.
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, of Jupiter, instead endorsed Democrat Gwen Graham for Florida’s top job.
PEMBROKE PINES — Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy of Jupiter abandoned his notion of running for Florida governor with a Republican running mate and instead endorsed Democrat Gwen Graham for governor Thursday.
Murphy and Graham appeared together in Broward County at a sweltering afternoon meeting of the Century Village of Pembroke Pines Democratic Club as her father, former Florida Gov. and Sen. Bob Graham, and mother, Adele Graham, looked on.
“This is a big day for our campaign, a monumental day,” said Graham, a former U.S. House member from Tallahassee. “And I know we see the Democratic Party coming together because after 20 years of Republican rule we don’t have another election to give.”
Even with Murphy opting out, five Democrats have opened campaigns for governor: Graham, billionaire Palm Beach real estate investor Jeff Greene, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and Winter Park businessman Chris King. The deadline for candidates to qualify for the ballot is June 22.
Murphy, who served two terms representing a Palm Beach-Treasure Coast U.S. House seat, was serious enough about running with former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly that he poll-tested the idea, got an attorney’s opinion on the legality of a mixed-party ticket, made TV appearances with Jolly and phoned potential donors.
When a Murphy-Jolly ticket was described to voters as a way to “set aside Florida’s old, partisan politics and get things done,” a late-April poll showed Murphy taking a narrow lead in the Democratic race.
Murphy echoed that theme in endorsing Graham.
“I thought maybe bringing a Republican and a Democrat together might be a unique way to actually solve problems,” Murphy told reporters. “But that’s where Gwen and I ultimately overlap is that we want to solve problems. However you get there is up to the candidate and the person in charge, but I think finding that middle ground is the best way to move the issues forward.”
The “middle ground” isn’t always a selling point in partisan primaries, and Graham has been accused by Gillum in particular of being too moderate on issues as other Democrats run to the left in the primary.
As a House member, Graham voted for the Keystone XL Pipeline, to loosen some of the Dodd-Frank regulations on Wall Street and to tighten vetting of Syrian refugees. As a candidate, she has called for the decriminalization of recreational marijuana, while Gillum and King have called for full legalization.
Graham was asked if the endorsement from Murphy, who also had a relatively moderate congressional voting record, would bolster Gillum’s claim that she’s not liberal enough.
“What Patrick and I represent are people that get elected who fight for the people that they represent, and that’s what we will always do,” Graham said.
“What I’m committed to doing ... is what I’ve done my entire career, which is thinking through challenges, finding solutions, and in that way you can actually get something done,” Graham said.
Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott faces term limits and is running for U.S. Senate this year. In addition to the five Democratic candidates, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis of Palm Coast and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam are seeking the Republican nomination for governor. Primaries are Aug. 28, and the general election is Nov. 6.