Margaret Good stresses bipartisanship in first TV ad

Margaret Good seemed to be the Democratic savior in Vern Buchanan's seat. It's not working out that way.

Sarasota Democrat Margaret Good says bipartisanship is necessary in her first television ad of her congressional campaign.

It’s her first broadcast ad since the now-state lawmaker declared she would challenge GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan in Florida’s 16^th Congressional District. The ad serves partly as a mild biographical intro to much of the district, as well as a blueprint on how she plans to govern.

“When you are the daughter of a pastor and a nurse and your family has a history of service, you learn to fix problems, not complain about them,” Good says, as family photos appear pinned to an old-fashioned clothesline.

Good’s campaign released the video advertisement on social media Monday. Campaign manager Alex Koren says it goes on air Tuesday on cable and broadcast television.

Photos in the ad show Good’s father in a collar as he poses with his family, including Good as a small child. Another pair of photos shows a black-and-white picture of a man in uniform and children running their fingers across names on the Vietnam Wall.

“That’s why I am running for Congress,” Good says as she walks through a Southwest Florida neighborhood. “Right now, nothing is getting done because our politicians are more concerned with their party than the people that they serve.”

“I’m Margaret good. I’ll work with anyone who is ready to get results, regardless of party.”

That’s a message she’s amplified during nearly three years in the Florida House, when she has held bipartisan town halls on issues like red tide with Republican lawmakers in the region.

She’s notably also been a leader of her own caucus in the House, being named a Deputy Democratic Leader in her first full term. She’s also challenging Buchanan with the support of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition.

It’s a sign that Good hopes to amplify her ability to work across the aisle as she runs in a district President Trump won by nearly 11% in 2016.

She’s also aiming to unseat a seven-term Republican who won in 2018 by 10%.

When you're the daughter of a pastor and a nurse, you learn to fix problems, not complain about them. In the legislature, I worked across the aisle on issues that are important to the people I serve. And that’s what I will continue to do in Congress. https://t.co/qXlllFMZRR pic.twitter.com/GK8q4QFqTT

— Margaret Good (@GoodforFlorida) August 31, 2020