South Florida newspapers back Andrew Gillum, Sean Shaw
Andrew Gillum at general election kickoff rally in Orlando.

Gillum

The Sun-Sentinel endorsed Democrat Andrew Gillum for Governor, while the Palm Beach Post threw its support behind Democrat Sean Shaw for Attorney General.

The South Florida newspapers issued endorsements early in the general election cycle.

The Sun-Sentinel made special note of Gillum’s education and environmental record, while taking Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis to task in both areas.

“Gillum wants the state to spend more on traditional public schools, especially on teacher salaries. That would help Florida,” the newspaper wrote. “DeSantis wants to continue favoring charter schools, which educate just 10 percent of public school students.”

The newspaper praised the Democrat’s health care platform and plans to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, something not done by Republican Gov. Rick Scott or the Republican-led Florida Legislature over the past eight years.

And while DeSantis has promised to hold polluters accountable for issues like red tide, Sun-Sentinel editorial writers noted DeSantis still proclaims he’s “not a global warming person.”

“That would hurt Florida,” the paper writes.

As for the Palm Beach Post’s support of Shaw, the newspaper labeled the Democrat “the clear choice for Florida attorney general.”

“He would be, in short, a counterforce to the Republicans’ long control of the Legislature,” reads the newspaper’s endorsement of Shaw.

The editorial board outlines his promise to be an activist attorney general, fighting for gun laws and the repeal of Stand Your Ground while demanding the Legislature fund public schools and Amendment 1-required conservation land acquisition.

Of Republican Attorney General candidate Ashley Moody, the newspaper suggests she would be an unfortunate extension of policies by current Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Moody thinks it’s just swell that Bondi joined a Texas lawsuit that seeks to have Obamacare declared unconstitutional,” the newspaper writes. “She backs Bondi’s defense of abortion restrictions passed by the Legislature, some of which have been rejected by the state Supreme Court.”

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


2 comments

  • Ray Tampa

    September 30, 2018 at 4:40 pm

    Ashley Moody, how ridiculous that you would ask us to support you and you can’t even see that Bondi is the WORST Attorney General in Florida’s history.

    Enough said.

    • Nordonia Nate

      October 1, 2018 at 12:44 pm

      Tampa Ray… More animus with your unsubstantiated claims… Tampa Ray… WHY all the HATE? Do you believe it makes you credible?

      Please help us understand HOW raising teacher’s salaries automatically improves the education of our children? Gillum is offering the Florida teachers a bribe to get their vote.

      DeSantis clearly wants to increase the value of vocational training to provide long term job opportunities to Floridians. It is perceived to be a threat to the public education sector and Gillum is using typical scare tactics on the teachers..

      I just wish you could articulate your points in a means less threatening and reduce the hate message. What does all this HATE get you?

Comments are closed.


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