Peter Schorsch
With Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine traveling the state to speak with Floridians about the state’s direction and how to best position Florida for the future, his political committee, All About Florida, added another $500,000 in July.
Last month’s haul brings the total raised for the political committee to $4.6 million.
Christian Ulvert, an adviser to Levine, says the mayor’s strong fundraising stems from his “ability to connect our diverse state on issues that will propel communities across Florida to be on the forefront of the 21st-century economy is why All About Florida is well positioned today.”
The mayor — a Democrat and close friend of former President Bill Clinton — remains noncommittal about entering the governor’s race and has even floated the idea of running as an independent. Levine campaigned extensively for Hillary Clinton during last year’s presidential race.
“There’s one assumption that you made there — that somehow if I ran for Governor, I would be a Democratic governor,” Levine told a Tampa Tiger Bay audience in May. “Too much is about Democrat and Republican. It needs to be about the people; maybe possibly it’s time we do something different.”
Last week, Levine premiered a “real Florida” radio show “A Day in the Sun” on SiriusXM satellite radio that features interviews with innovative and offbeat Floridians. The mayor said he would also talk with other mayors about issues that face American cities: crime, the environment, and infrastructure and more.
“Mayor Philip Levine has both big ideas for his SiriusXM show and an equally big personality, and I’m confident his energy and sharp political mind will make ‘The Mayor’ a true asset to SiriusXM’s Talk lineup,” said SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein in a statement in March.
Levine’s show will feature his 22-city Florida road trip, part of a”listening tour” announced earlier in the year after Levine said he would not seek re-election as Miami Beach Mayor. The tour fueled speculation on a possible bid for governor.
A multimillionaire, the 55-year-old mayor made his fortune producing marketing campaigns for the cruise industry. Since his first election in 2013, Levine has made numerous waves, frequently clashing with law enforcement, backing a 2 a.m. alcohol curfew and passing a minimum-wage increase despite a ban imposed by state lawmakers.
