Jacob Ogles
U.S. Senate candidate Stanley Campbell’s campaign manager is parting ways with the Treasure Coast Democrat.
Millie Ayala Raphael will leave the campaign formally at the end of July. The development comes with less than a month to go before a critical Democratic Primary where he trails former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in fundraising.
“We built a strong political team who were able to take Mr. Campbell, from a successful yet little known businessman in Florida, to a viable senatorial candidate with voters and organizations that matter in our State,” Raphael said in a statement.
The campaign said Raphael, founder and CEO of Progress For Florida, is currently in negotiations for a leadership role with a national organization. She will also join the executive advisory board for a Florida-based political committee and continue the work of Progress for Florida, which works to elect minority candidates to elected office at all levels across the state.
Stanley would be Florida’s first Black U.S. Senator if elected. Raphael said she still supports Campbell, a businessman currently facing Mucarsel-Powell, a Miami Democrat, in the Aug. 20 Democratic primary. The winner will challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in November.
“Mr. Campbell will be a formidable opponent for Rick Scott, and a legislator with the depth of knowledge and experience that the constituents of Florida deserve,” she said. “I have every confidence that members of the Campbell team will get him across the finish line.”
Raphael previously served as Director of Volunteers and Hispanic Outreach for Andrew Gillum’s 2018 campaign for Governor, a race the Democrat lost by less than one percentage point.
The campaign noted that under Raphael’s leadership, Campbell landed the endorsement of the Florida AFL-CIO and the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida.
Campbell has largely self-funded his campaign with a $1 million candidate loan. He has raised more than $81,000 in outside contributions as of the end of June, and wrapped the financial quarter with more than $394,000 in cash on hand.
By comparison, Mucarsel-Powell has raised more than $11.8 million, and had $4.3 million in the bank at the end of the quarter.
