Stanley Campbell trumpets endorsements for underdog Senate campaign

Stanley Campbell. Image via StanleyForFlorida.com.

While much of the noise around the Senate race in Florida assumes former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is the presumptive Democratic nominee, another candidate is showing strength with a slate of endorsements.

Stanley Campbell of Palm City is countering his better-known opponent with “endorsements from a coalition of influential elected leaders from across the state” that demonstrate the candidate’s “deep-rooted connection to these communities and his commitment to represent the interests and aspirations of all residents at the national level.”

Campbell’s endorsements include regionally prominent names from throughout the state, with most of them concentrated in Broward County. These include Mayor Wayne Messam, Mayor Sam Borgelin, Vice Mayors Darrell Lewis-Ricketts and Mark Spence, City and County Commissioners Vice Mayor Alexandra Davis, Maxwell Chambers, Dr. Katrina Touchstone, Joy Smith, Anthony Caggiano, Hazelle Rodgers, Jacqueline Guzman, Mark Douglas, Sarai Rae Martin, former Rep. Gwendolyn Clarke-Reed, Mayor Dale Holness, former Commissioners Richard Campbell, Vice Mayor Mike Gelin, Edward Phillips, and Anthony Sanders.

From Palm Beach County, Council members Douglas Lawson and Katrina Long Robinson, School Board member Edwin Ferguson and former Commissioner Richard Ryles endorsed.

Also on board: Victoria and Gary Siplin of Orlando, along with former Senator Tony Hill, Councilman Reggie Gaffney, Jr. and former Councilmen Dr. Johnny and Reggie Gaffney of Jacksonville.

Hill made the case in a quote provided by Campbell’s campaign.

“”I support Campbell because in Duval, we’re overlooked by the Party. His military background, work with NASA as a FAMU student, and his innovative efforts to stop $150 million in Medicare fraud penalties daily highlight his commitment to this state and our communities. As someone who has lived in six different parts of the state, he speaks directly to our communities, embodying the leadership we need to uplift our own.”

“We’re not running the typical political campaign that’s about dialing for dollars first and talking to voters last. We spent the last quarter of 2023 laser focused on touring the state and talking directly with diverse groups of constituents about the issues that matter most to them. We then used the first quarter of 2024 to include in-depth conversations with their elected leaders about proposed solutions. We are building momentum from the ground up and community by community because the only folks I will be beholden to are the residents of this great state,” Campbell said.

Campbell’s campaign is largely self-financed at this point, according to its Federal Elections Commission report that covers activity through the end of March. He has a little more than $771,000 available, while he loaned his campaign $1 million, and has gotten roughly $50,000 in external contributions as of the end of Q1.

Though Mucarsel-Powell’s Q1 numbers aren’t in, federal records show she closed 2023 with more than $1.5 million cash on hand, suggesting that Campbell may need more funds to compete.