A.G. Gancarski
The 2018 Democratic nominee for Attorney General made his preference known in this year’s Primary field Wednesday.
Sean Shaw, who ran a competitive race in defeat four years ago to incumbent Ashley Moody, endorsed Aramis Ayala of Orange County.
“I’m proud to endorse Aramis Ayala in her race for Attorney General. Florida needs an Attorney General with Aramis’ exceptional expertise and unbendable commitment to serving the people over the powerful,” Shaw asserted.
“From Day 1 as State Attorney, Aramis demonstrated unfaltering leadership, introducing groundbreaking justice reforms and eliminating practices that upheld systemic racism or penalized poverty. She provided Floridians with a historic level of transparency and made sure that their voices were both heard and answered. The people can trust Aramis to make their well-being her highest priority in office, and to deliver on her promises to them,” Shaw added.
Shaw contended that Ayala would be the right AG at the right time for people struggling amid current circumstances.
“So many Floridians are struggling to recover from the pandemic. Both renters and homebuyers are facing an affordable housing crisis. Parents and children fear the next school shooting. The civil rights of women and LGBTQ+ Floridians are under assault. And as always, Black and Brown people are disproportionately affected by the brutality at the foundations of our justice system. Having a fierce advocate in the Attorney General’s office will be a lifeline for them and the chief means of advancing public safety reforms and consumer protections that the overwhelming majority agree with,” Shaw asserted.
Three Democrats are vying to face off against Republican Ashley Moody in November. Ayala is the only one with elected experience.
She had become the first Black State Attorney in Florida’s history when she won an upset victory in Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit in 2016, defeating incumbent Jeff Ashton in the Democratic Primary, and benefiting from the support of George Soros in that race.
“I am thrilled to have Sean Shaw backing our campaign for Attorney General. Sean has worked tirelessly for economic and social justice in Florida, and has never backed down from the battle against corruption and special interests,” Ayala added.
“I look forward to fighting alongside him to make sure Floridians have fair pay and housing, safe neighborhoods, safe air and water, and safe schools. What’s more, we’re going to uproot corruption at the top so that every Floridian can live and prosper equally. From the most powerful to the most vulnerable, true justice levels the playing field for everyone,” Ayala continued.
Ayala is up against Jim Lewis of Ft. Lauderdale and Daniel Uhlfelder of Santa Rosa Beach in the Democratic Primary. Lewis has raised and self-funded a little more than $20,000 during months as a candidate. Ayala and Uhlfelder will file their first fundraising reports for March this month. They are due by April 11.
Regardless of which Democrat prevails, they will face a serious challenge against the incumbent. Moody had over $4.1 million cash on hand at the end of February between her campaign account and her political committee, Friends of Ashley Moody.
