Andrew Gillum labeled ‘too radical’ in new ad

Andrew Gillum

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is drawing fire for his connection to Dream Defenders, a leftist group that argues “police and prisons have no place in ‘justice,’” among other things.

A new television ad backed by the Republican Governors Association claims, “Gillum got through the primary thanks to a radical group called the Dream Defenders.”

The 30-second spot shows a clip of Gillum, currently the Mayor of Tallahassee, giving a shout out to the Dream Defenders at a speaking engagement.

A narrator adds: “These radicals argue for quote ‘a border-free tomorrow’… that ‘police and prisons have no place in justice.’” Included on screen are tweets and other corroborating materials from Dream Defenders. 

“Andrew Gillum’s unwavering support for the radical Dream Defenders proves that he is too extreme to be Governor,” said RGA Communications Director Jon Thompson in releasing the ad. “These radicals not only support the abolishment of borders, prisons, and police but also call the United States ‘the biggest bully in the history of the planet.’”

This is the second time the RGA has hit Gillum since his primary win last month. The first ad from the group depicted Gillum as “far out … on another planet” for holding very liberal viewpoints.

POLITICO Florida reported earlier on Tuesday that the RGA has directed nearly $5 million to support Ron DeSantis, Gillum’s Republican opponent.

Danny McAuliffe

Danny is a contributor at floridapolitics.com. He is a graduate of Fordham Law School and Florida State University, where he served as the editor of the FSView & Florida Flambeau. Reach him at [email protected].



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