Ryan Nicol
Senate Victory, a group that backs Senate Democratic candidates, is partnering with Andrew Gillum‘s political committee ahead of the 2020 election.
The committee, Forward Florida, shipped $75,000 to Senate Victory to invest in campaign operations. The donation came in before the start of the 2020 Legislative Session.
“With redistricting right after the 2020 election, it is vital that we elect more Democrats to the Florida Senate to ensure that our citizens get the fair districts they deserve,” Gillum said in announcing the donation.
“Senate Victory has a proven track record of success, picking up seats, winning campaigns, and engaging the grassroots. I am excited to partner with Senator Gary Farmer to advance our shared vision of a brighter, more progressive future for Florida.”
Farmer is the Leader-designate for Senate Democrats. He’ll take over for Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson next term.
“We are extremely excited about this initial investment by Mayor Gillum and Forward Florida in the critical campaign and voter registration infrastructure we need to continue the path to parity in the Florida Senate,” Farmer added.
“For the past decade, Senate Victory has been at the forefront of the battle for a more progressive vision for the future of Florida. This partnership will allow us to build on the incredible excitement Mayor Gillum brought to the state in 2018 as we continue to move Florida forward to victory in 2020!”
Democrats currently hold 17 of the Senate’s 40 seats. While Democrats have floated a desire to take over the Senate in 2020, the map isn’t in their favor.
Senate Districts 9 and 39 are both open contests in 2020, with Republican incumbents bound by term limits. Those races stand as the best chance for Democrats to flip a GOP seat.
But even if they win both and don’t lose any of their own, Democrats would remain the minority party with 19 seats.
The $75,000 is being labeled as an “initial investment” and will go toward “early campaign organizations in Senate Districts 9 and 39, as well as for on-the-ground voter registration activities in South and Central Florida.”
