For the Governor? John Morgan says he has ‘much to think about’ before making decision

John Morgan isn’t closing the door on a 2018 gubernatorial bid.

Morgan said he has been overwhelmed by calls for him to run for governor in 2018, but said he needs “a lot of time to think about it” before going down that road.

“I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support and love this week,” he wrote in a lengthy post on Medium. “But I have much to think about and do before I jump into a decision of this magnitude.”

The push to draft Morgan, an Orlando trial attorney, to run for governor began earlier this week. In an email to United for Care supporters earlier this week, Ben Pollara, the campaign manager and a Miami-based political consultant, encouraged Floridians encourage Morgan to run.

“I don’t care whether he runs as a Democrat, Republican, Communist, or Klingon, I want John Morgan to be Florida’s next governor. I want John Morgan to be MY next governor,” said Pollara in the email. “Tell John: We need you in Tallahassee. We need a governor who is truly, For The People.”

Morgan said he has a “pretty clear vision of what Florida’s next governor should do,” and outlined a series of issues — including decriminalizing marijuana and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour — he’d like to see tackled. He also said he’d like to see the positions of lieutenant governor and agriculture commissioner abolished.

And Morgan said there’s no rush for him to jump in the race. While other candidates might need to announce their intentions early to raise money and build name recognition, Morgan is well-known throughout the state and would be able to “largely self-fund any campaign.”

“These campaigns begin too early and drag on too long,” he wrote. “I could start in 2018 with plenty of time to make my case to The People of Florida.”

The 2018 field is expected to be crowded. Rep. Gwen Graham, the daughter of former governor and Sen. Bob Graham, has expressed interest, and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is expected to throw his hat in the race.

Morgan was one of the main backers of Amendment 2, the medical marijuana amendment, pouring millions of dollars into the campaign. Floridians voted overwhelmingly in support of the amendment earlier this month.

“Passing Amendment 2 will be part of my life story. It was a singular moment for me. Hundreds of thousands will see relief. That is written,” he wrote. “The next chapter, I’m not sure of.”