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Andrew Gillum among list of candidates backed by Brady Campaign

Only a few Florida names were included in the latest endorsement rollout from the longstanding, national Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum and his running mate Chris King, however, made the cut. So did Congressional District 27 hopeful Donna Shalala, who’s engaged in a hard-fought battle to turn the South Florida district blue.

The choice between Gillum and Republican opponent Ron DeSantis, the executive committee of the Florida chapters of the Brady Campaign claim, “couldn’t be any clearer.”

“One candidate for governor said he was ‘disappointed’ in efforts to stop mass shootings after the Parkland massacre,” the members noted, referring to DeSantis’ take on the state Legislature’s gun-control actions after 17 were killed at the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. “The other has stood arm-in-arm with students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the fight for change.” 

The organization lauded Gillum and King for pledging to increase gun control. Gillum’s anti-gun violence platform includes bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines — positions supported by the Brady Campaign.

Brady noted Shalala’s ties to President Bill Clinton, who passed a federal assault weapons ban in 1994. Then the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, “Shalala was part of the team that passed the 1994 assault weapons ban, and she is committed to doing so again,” the organization claims.

With vocal support could come monetary aid, according to the campaign. The group is thoroughly vetting candidates on gun issues and claims it will support friends and target enemies of the organization’s mission via its Brady PAC.

“These are all fantastic candidates who join an already impressive group of diverse gun safety champions,” said Kris Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign. “We look forward to supporting them to victory in November.”

Spending spree: Senators send back up to swelling GOP Senate fund

Tampa Republican Sen. Dana Young offloaded more than half of the cash available in her affiliated political committee last week with a single, $800,000 check to the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Her committee, Friends of Dana Young, had $1.38 million in the bank on Sept. 7 but at the end of the reporting period ending Sept. 14 the committee had about $573,000 left to spend.

It’s likely that much of that cash will come back to her via “in-kind” support for her SD 18 re-election campaign from FRSCC, a cash rich party affiliated committee helmed by incoming Senate President Bill Galvano that’s charged with maintaining the Republican majority in the state Senate.

As of Aug. 31, FRSCC had provided nearly $400,000 in assistance to Young’s campaign.

Young’s contribution comes as she faces a tough battle against House Minority leader Janet Cruz to hold her seat, which covers much of Tampa. Polling has indicated it will be a close race. At one point, Cruz held a slim lead, but Young is now back on top by 3 points according to a St. Pete Polls survey conducted this week.

After the transfer, Young had about $1 million left to spend between her campaign and committee accounts. Cruz, meanwhile, has about $165,000 at the ready between her two accounts.

Young’s transfer came alongside another infusion from the political committee of Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson. His committee, Jobs for Florida, chipped in $550,000 last week, bringing the committee’s lifetime contributions to the fund past the $1.9 million mark.

Simpson, who represents SD 10, will also be on the ballot in the fall though he will only face nominal opposition from Spring Hill Democrat Michael Cottrell. Unlike Young’s SD 18, which has a purple electorate, SD 10 voted has voted overwhelmingly for the Republican candidate in nearly every statewide race over the past decade.

Jobs for Florida had $1.57 million on hand on Sept. 14.

Young’s and Simpson’s contributions give a window in the financial health of FRSCC, which has more infrequent reporting deadlines than political committees. FRSCC had nearly $2 million in the bank at the end of the April through August reporting period, with its next report due just a few days before the Nov. 6 general election.

Bobby Payne brings the money for re-election bid

State Rep. Bobby Payne, a Palatka Republican representing House District 19, has amassed what looks to be a prohibitive cash advantage against Democratic challenger Paul Still.

Payne’s last two reporting periods have been strong — between Aug. 24 and Sept. 14, he raised a total of $30,325.

Of that sum, $21,025 was raised Aug. 24-31, from 62 individual contributions. Among the donors: Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach and various regional Chamber of Commerce groups.

The district covers Bradford, Putnam and Union counties, and part of Clay County.

The Sept. 1-14 period brought in $9,300, with corporate interests signaling approval. Among those donors: Duke Energy PAC, Comcast, U.S. Sugar, and PHRMA.

Payne has raised $144,871 in all and has over $131,000 on hand.

Meanwhile, Still — an elected Supervisor for the Bradford County Soil and Water Conservation Board — has not seemed to get traction.

He brought in $460 for Aug. 24-Sept. 14. He has just over $5,000 on hand, an amount covered by a personal loan at the campaign launch.

HD 19 has a GOP plurality. Of its 99,647 voters, 44,804 are registered Republican. An additional 36,250 voters are Democrats, with the rest lacking party affiliation or belonging to various third parties.

Democrats push Hurricane Maria response as campaign issue; Republicans cite efforts

On the one-year mark of Hurricane Maria’s devastating landfall on Puerto Rico, Florida Democrats are charging that Republicans in Washington and Tallahassee neglected the island while Republicans are countering with statements on efforts they undertook.

The bottom line may be the still-hobbled island, parts of which went months without adequate power, drinking water, and health care, while thousands of Puerto Ricans at least temporarily relocated to Florida. Many of them are still here, and many still struggle to find housing and help.

Democrats in particular charged that the struggles on the island and for many Puerto Ricans who came to Florida can be blamed in large part on the inadequate responses from President Donald Trump. And in a press call Thursday they also charged that Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Republican gubernatorial nominee U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis cannot hide from their long and deep ties to Trump, regardless of statements they may have made recently seeking to distance themselves from him on Puerto Rico.

“We know that post-Maria there was a catastrophic failure by the administration in its response to fellow U.S. citizens, not just in Puerto Rico but in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Democratic state Rep. Robert Asencio of Miami said in the press call organized by the Florida Democratic Party. “That is at the direction of, or at the administration of, our President.”

“They [Scott and DeSantis] are fully aligned,” added Democratic state Rep. Amy Mercado. “They can’t do anything without the President’s blessing.”

Democrats also charged that Florida’s efforts failed to adequately address the housing needs of Puerto Rico refugees in the state or to provide any “wrap-around case management” services that Democrats had requested in the days after the storm.

“It’s a shame that we haven’t really moved to help these families in our state as we promised a year ago,” said state Sen. Victor Torres of Orlando.

In various statements and letters they released Thursday, a number of Republicans pointed to actions taken by Scott’s administration and by the federal government, while allowing that the problems simply were overwhelming. Scott proclaimed a commitment to continue helping at a rally Tuesday in a Puerto Rican region of Orlando. He is in Puerto Rico on Thursday to join with the island’s leaders to commemorate the storm, his eighth trip to the island since the storm. He also ordered that Florida’s flags be flown at half-staff Thursday in sympathy.

“The days, weeks and months that followed have been tough,” Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes of Altamonte Springs wrote in a statement Thursday. “The widespread devastation left in the wake of this catastrophic natural disaster put many island residents in dire straights. But it also provided Florida with an opportunity to shine as we welcomed many Puerto Ricans to the Sunshine State.”

Noting the efforts to welcome storm refugees with centers directing them to services and efforts to eliminate much red tape for social assistance, employment and education as families relocated here with nothing, Cortes concluded, “I’m proud of the way Florida has given our fellow Americans from Puerto Rico a warm welcome.”

The White House also put out a statement declaring, “The Federal Government has helped lead a historic recovery effort in Puerto Rico in the year since Hurricane Maria hit.” It cited more than $25 billion in aid and other efforts including, “the longest sustained domestic air mission of food and water response in our history.”

Florida’s Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio sent a letter to Trump Thursday urging him to “renew his commitment to the long-term stability of those impacted by the storm.” Rubio’s letter, in the first sentence, declared that the storm “contributing to the deaths of an estimated 2,975 people,” a clear break with Trump, who outraged many last week by tweeting that he believes that estimated death toll is fake news pushed by his political enemies.

Scott and DeSantis, in their own tweets, both also have disavowed the president’s claims about the death toll being fake.

Nonetheless, those Trump tweets continued the pattern the president has asserted from the beginning that the federal efforts toward Puerto Rico were historically strong, not slow and inadequate. Those claims remain at the heart of the awkward position many Florida Republicans are in, and which the Democrats are moving forward to highlight in the campaigns this fall, in the battle for votes for the estimated 1.2 million Puerto Ricans living in Florida. Full electricity was not restored on the island until last month, and reports throughout the year indicated much of the island was hampered so much by inadequate recovery that thousands of people died from while many others who fled to Florida continue to struggle to adjust.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum pledged not just hurricane aid but future partnerships with the island on cultural and other exchanges, in an open letter to the Puerto Rican community that he released Thursday afternoon.

“I still believe, as many of you do, that the way in which our government responded to our fellow U.S. citizens was a complete disaster,” Gillum wrote. “You deserved better. Puerto Rico deserved better. Our nation deserved better. And again, I want you to know here in the state of Florida we stand in solidarity with you.”

DeSantis’s campaign sought to address the matter last week with a statement from his Communications Director Stephen Lawson.

“Ron DeSantis has always worked to help the Puerto Rican community, both on the Island and here in Florida. As chairman of the National Security Subcommittee, he conducted an oversight hearing earlier this year to identify deficiencies in the federal response to Hurricane Maria. He has worked alongside Rep. Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon to secure support for rebuilding efforts. In August, he visited the island to meet with elected leaders and get the latest briefing from FEMA regarding recovery efforts,” Lawson wrote. “Ron DeSantis is committed to standing with the Puerto Rican community, especially after such a tragic loss of life. He doesn’t believe any loss of life has been inflated. Ron is focused on continuing to help our Puerto Rican neighbors recover and create opportunities for those who have moved to Florida succeed.”

Jeb Bush, Richard Corcoran laud Ron DeSantis’ education policy

Republican nominee for Governor Ron DeSantis rolled out an education policy this week that wasn’t too different from that of dispatched primary rival Adam Putnam, with emphasis on school choice (charter schools) and vocational training.

As yet another signal of DeSantis being embraced by establishment Republicans, his campaign on Thursday rolled out a list of endorsements for his education policy.

Primary among them are former Gov. Jeb Bush, whose eight years in Tallahassee stressed educational reform and who was the last conservative defender of Common Core, and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who abandoned his own gubernatorial ambitions and backed Putnam in the primary.

Bush said “DeSantis’ education policies will prepare Florida students to succeed in the competitive 21st century global economy. He understands that transforming our schools into a world-class education system requires bold reforms, and he is the only candidate with a plan to ensure Florida continues to lead the nation in raising student achievement.”

He added: “Ron is a fighter who will work tirelessly to ensure every student has access to a high quality education, and I am proud to endorse his education plan.”

The Bush imprimatur is interesting here, given the former Governor spent a good portion of his 2016 presidential run explaining away his own backing of Common Core. DeSantis, of course, wants to end Common Core.

No less interesting is Corcoran’s full-throated endorsement of the DeSantis plan. Corcoran, who called DeSantis “visionless” just this summer, now believes DeSantis offers “bold education policy.”

“Ron DeSantis will work to ensure that our tax dollars will be prioritized to reduce teacher shortages and reward great teachers with great salaries, not to funding wasteful education bureaucracy,” Corcoran vowed.

Corcoran’s wife is on a charter board, according to the Tampa Bay Times, as is Erika Donalds, the wife of state Rep. Byron Donalds, who also lauded the plan.

Rep. Donalds, a Naples Republican, asserts that DeSantis’ plan shows he is “committed to ensuring that the children of Florida have the best education in the country.”

“His policy will expand vocational and technical programs to teach real-world skills to students and help them prepare for the jobs of the 21st century,” DeSantis said. “I have always supported school choice and increasing opportunities for all Florida’s students and I am proud to stand by Ron DeSantis for Governor.”

Rep. Manny Diaz, Jr., running in a tough race for state Senate in Miami-Dade, likewise lauded the plan. Diaz, the chief operating officer of charter school-affiliated Doral College, claimed DeSantis would work “to expand school choice in our state.”

The DeSantis plan also is endorsed by incoming GOP House Speaker Jose Oliva, who did not mention charter schools explicitly. Oliva endorsed DeSantis back in June.

“He has made it clear that he will always stand with students and their parents over bureaucracy and special interests when it comes to the education of Florida’s children,” Oliva said. “Ron DeSantis is committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to get a quality education, regardless of their circumstance. I have no doubt that Ron DeSantis will work tirelessly to make Florida’s education system the very best it can be.”

Ashey Moody

Crossing the aisle: Democratic sheriffs endorse GOP’s Ashley Moody for A.G.

In the bare-knuckled GOP primary race for Attorney General, former Hillsborough Circuit Judge Ashley Moody played up law enforcement backing to distinguish herself from opponents.

Now the nominee, Moody continues to bank law enforcement endorsements — including from the other side of the aisle.

Moody’s campaign rolled out a list Thursday of 14 more sheriffs endorsing her, including eight Democrats from rural counties, bringing her total to 57. Florida has 67 counties.

The Democrats:

— Glades County’s David Hardin

— Dixie’s Dewey Hatcher

— Lafayette’s Brian Lamb

— DeSoto’s James Potter

— Hamilton’s J. Harrell Reid

— Jackson’s Louis Roberts III

— Suwannee’s Sam St. John

— Liberty’s Eddie Joe White

Democratic endorsements suggest that Moody will draw votes from Blue Dog Democrats as well as Republicans in her race against the Democratic nominee, state Rep. Sean Shaw of Tampa.

Of all the Cabinet candidates, Moody seems to be the one best-positioned to overcome a potential Blue Wave. The latest survey by St. Pete’s Polls shows Moody up two points over Shaw, a 46-44 margin.

Bill Nelson disputes ‘vulnerable’ claim, says he’s ‘going to win’

Sen. Bill Nelson is vying for his fourth term in office; however, one national outlet rates him as the “most vulnerable” Senate incumbent.

Per elections analyst Nate Silver‘s FiveThirtyEight, Nelson is the “most vulnerable” Democratic senator on the 2018 ballot, plagued by “a very good challenger in Florida: Gov. Rick Scott,” a Naples Republican.

We asked Nelson on Wednesday if he was vulnerable, given the bleak FiveThirtyEight assessment.

“FiveThirtyEight also says I’m going to win,” Nelson said, drawing laughter from those around him.

Nelson “absolutely” believes issues like the red tide and green algae, which drew protesters that were the main news from Scott’s “Make Washington Work” tour, will work in his favor.

“My opponent has systematically dismantled the environmental agencies and their funding,” Nelson noted, “on regulating pollution going into the waterways.”

“That is going to be a major issue in this campaign,” Nelson noted.

We also got Nelson’s take on the apparent/alleged schism between Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump, a function of DeSantis not backing Trump’s claims that there were nowhere near over 3,000 deaths in Puerto Rico caused by last year’s hurricane.

“What else is new,” Nelson quipped.

Polls so far rate the race as a toss-up.

A Reuters/Ipsos/University of Virginia Center for Politics Poll released Wednesday showed Scott up 46-45, well inside the four point margin of error.

Republicans have consistently messaged that the Nelson campaign is tanking, though polls don’t reflect that. Even a personnel move — the departure of Carlie Waibel to the Andrew Gillum campaign — earned a Republican National Committee press release this week.

“It’s no wonder that Nelson’s staffers are jumping ship from his sinking campaign,” remarked RNC spokesperson Taryn Fenske, who added that Nelson’s campaign may be “unsalvageable.”

Likewise, volunteer phone bankers from Sacramento were held up this week by one Republican operative as evidence that there is no on-the-ground enthusiasm for Nelson.

“Bill Nelson’s campaign is so desperate he’s now resorted to enlisting the help of radicals from California almost 3,000 miles away from Florida,” said Camille Gallo, NRSC spokesperson.

“Maybe if Bill Nelson actually worked for Florida, Floridians would be willing to help him keep his job.”

Ron DeSantis, Andrew Gillum back boosting vocational programs

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis and Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum have vast differences in their education policy proposals, but they agree on one area: Not everybody needs to get a four-year college degree.

Although the details are somewhat scant, DeSantis and Gillum this week emphasized their support for energizing Florida’s technical and vocational programs as part of their overall education priorities.

“We are going to add major investments in jobs and skills training,” said Gillum, a Florida A&M University graduate and former student leader. “While college worked for me, for my older siblings, it was access to woodwork and shop and mechanical and technical degree programs that allowed them to gain a skill that they could monetize, go to work and get a good job.”

Gillum gave credit for the visibility of the issue to Republican Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who made the issue a top priority during his gubernatorial primary campaign against DeSantis.

Among other issues, Putnam noted that more than half of the jobs expected to be created in Florida’s fastest-growing employment sectors by 2025 will require advanced training but less than a four-year degree.

Putnam, who lost in the Aug. 28 GOP primary, also noted that while Florida’s Bright Futures merit-scholarship program will receive a record $523 million this year, the scholarships for vocational students represent only 1 percent of the students receiving those awards.

Of the 103,000 Bright Futures scholars this academic year, state analysts project only 1,000 will qualify for the “Gold Seal” vocational scholarships. Putnam noted that Florida had more than 10,600 Gold Seal scholars when the Bright Futures program began in 1997.

 “I believe there can be bipartisan agreement around our need to reinvest in those early skills programs that don’t allow for any of our students’ talents to go to waste,” Gillum said.

DeSantis made similar comments Tuesday after touring a science and technology school in Okaloosa County.

He said he would support enhancing programs that let students earn industry or technical certifications while in high school, allowing them to more quickly enter the state’s workforce rather than pursuing four-year degrees.

“You then can go and get gainful employment, maybe you do some more training, but you’re not having to go $100,000 into debt, get a degree in zombie studies and then end up in a job you could have had out of high school anyways,” said DeSantis, who is a Harvard-educated lawyer.

But Gillum and DeSantis are likely to clash on other higher-education issues.

Gillum criticized DeSantis, a former congressman from Ponte Vedra Beach, for supporting a budget plan in the U.S. House in 2015 that sought to freeze Pell grants for 10 years as a cost-cutting move. Pell grants, which currently have an annual cap of $6,095, are awarded to students from low-income families and do not have to be paid back.

“He voted for a 30 percent cut in Pell grants over the next 10 years,” Gillum said. “I don’t know if this point has been lost on Mr. DeSantis or not, the candidate for governor of the state of Florida, but 41 percent of Florida tuition is covered by Pell grants.”

As of the fall of 2016, 38 percent of the students enrolled in public universities in Florida were on Pell grants, according to the state university system’s Board of Governors. Some 63 percent of the students at Florida A&M University were on Pell grants, as well as more than half of the students at Florida International University, according to the data.

House Republicans defended the proposed Pell grant freeze, which was not enacted, as a means of making the program “more sustainable.” A memo in support of the plan noted the grants had been expanded to more students from higher-income families.

“Increasing eligibility to those with higher incomes drains resources from those who need the most help,” the memo said. “Our budget adopts a sustainable Pell grant maximum.”

—

This report includes information from David Bishop of FLA News.

Andrew Gillum continues filling out campaign staff

Andrew Gillum, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, announced on Wednesday a second series of hires for his general election campaign.

Eleven more Gillum staffers and consultants are officially on board, the campaign announced Wednesday. The campaign earlier this week unveiled a 19-person leadership team.

Familiar names — like staffers from unsuccessful primary campaigns and from other Democratic politicians and groups — fill out the squad. There are also carryovers from Gillum’s primary team.

At the helm of operations is Brandon Davis, the newly named campaign manager. Davis fills the vacancy created by the firing of Brendan McPhillips, who was let go shortly after Gillum’s upset primary victory. Davis is a decorated Democratic strategist. He served nearly a decade in leadership positions at Service Employees International Union and in 2016 was the chief of staff at the Democratic National Committee.

“The enthusiasm and activism of so many Floridians over the last two weeks has been inspiring, and this campaign isn’t letting up for a moment — we are going to take our message to every corner of the state,” Davis said in announcing the slate of new hires.

Among the updated list of outside consultants to the campaign is Millie Raphael, who will advise on statewide Hispanic outreach. Hava Holzhauer will focus on Jewish outreach.

Taking over political operations for Gillum is Roosevelt Holmes, who worked for President Barack Obama‘s election campaign in 2008. Holmes also successfully helped Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings ascend to the county’s mayoral post in August. Holmes will now oversee Deputy Political Director Philip Jerez, who ran the political shop for Gillum during the primary.

From the now-shuttered Philip Levine campaign comes Courtney Whitney, a Democratic fundraiser, and Christian Ulvert. Ulvert, who was a senior adviser to Levine, will handle Spanish-language media for Gillum. Manny Orozco–Ballestas, also a Levine alum, will handle youth outreach for Gillum. 

Pollster John Anzalone, who formerly worked with Gwen Graham, will handle surveying for the Gillum camp.

Zach Learner is the deputy manager for the campaign and comes over from Chris King‘s team. King is on the ticket as a Lieutenant Governor hopeful.

Carlie Waibel, who had earlier this year worked for Sen. Bill Nelson‘s re-election campaign, now is the deputy communications director for Gillum. On Wednesday, the campaign also announced Johanna Cervone and Kirsten Allen as new comms hires. Joshua Karp, who handled comms for U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy‘s failed U.S. Senate bid in 2016, and Doug Thornell, of SKDKnickerbocker, round out the comms staff.

Former communications director Geoff Burgan is now working with CATECOMM, the communications and consulting firm that’s long been favored by Gillum. Kevin Cate, owner of CATECOMM, will handle paid media for Gillum.

A complete list of team Gillum is below.

Senior strategic advisers: Scott Arceneaux, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Omar Khan and Sean Pittman.

Senior Staff: Cesar Fernandez, Deputy Campaign Manager for Political; Joshua Karp, Deputy Campaign Manager for Communications; Zach Learner, Deputy Campaign Manager for Operations; Roxey Nelson, Deputy Campaign Manager for Organizing; Courtney Whitney, Deputy Campaign Manager for Finance; and Carlie Waibel, Deputy Communications Director.

Staff: Roosevelt Holmes, Political Director; Johanna Cervone, Communications Director; Kirsten Allen, Deputy Communications Director; Philip Jerez, Statewide Deputy Political Director; Susannah Randolph, Statewide Constituency Outreach Director; Juan Cuba, Hispanic Outreach Director; Alicia Stallworth, African American & Caribbean Outreach Director; Manny Orozco–Ballestas, Youth Outreach Director. 

Consulting team: Jon Adrabi, Senior Advisor; Karen Andre, Senior Advisor; John Anzalone, Polling; Kevin Cate, Paid Media; Mattis Goldman, Paid Media; Jim Kottmeyer, Digital; Doug Thornell, Communications; Ed Peavy, Direct Mail; Christian Ulvert, Spanish-Language Media; Millie Raphael, Statewide Hispanic Outreach Consultant; Hava Holzhauer, Statewide Jewish Outreach Consultant; Omar Khan, Senior Advisor.

FAU poll: Andrew Gillum has slim lead over Ron DeSantis

A new survey from the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) has Andrew Gillum with an inside-the-margin lead in the race to be Florida’s next Governor.

The poll shows Gillum with 41 percent of the vote, with DeSantis at 39 percent. The remaining 15 percent of voters were undecided, leaving some room for growth for each candidate.

“Florida continues to be a sharply divided state,” said Kevin Wagner, professor of political science at FAU and a research fellow of the Initiative. “When races are this close, it is often enthusiasm and turnout that make the difference.”

DeSantis may face an added hurdle if this race comes down to turnout. Recent reports say President Donald Trump is unhappy with DeSantis’ rebuke of the President’s remarks regarding the death toll in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. DeSantis, however, questioned that narrative on Wednesday.

“I don’t think anything has changed. I think we’re good,” he said.

DeSantis’ primary win over Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam was largely seen as a result of Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis.

And Trump’s grip on the Republican Party base means he could have sway over Republican turnout come November. Whether Trump’s anger will linger and lead to a tamping down of support for DeSantis remains to be seen. If there is a gap between DeSantis and “the big man himself,” there’s plenty of time to bridge the divide, and if past is prologue, a Democratic lead in September often results in a Republican win in November.

Still, the lead for Gillum in the FAU BEPI poll matches other surveys which have shown the Democrat ahead. That includes another poll released Wednesday morning from Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics. The latter poll, conducted online, showed Gillum with a 50-44 percent lead, which was outside the poll’s 4 point margin of error.

FAU BEPI’s survey was conducted Sept. 13-16 and sampled 850 likely voters. That margin of error was listed as 3.3 percentage points.

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