Sanders-backed Andrew Gillum wins major upset in Florida Dem gov primary

BY MAX GREENWOOD - 08/28/18 09:18 PM EDT

Excerpt:

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a progressive aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), pulled off a stunning win in Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, edging out former Rep. Gwen Graham (D-Fla.). Few had expected it. Most recent public polls showed Gillum in third place, trailing Graham and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine for the Democratic nod to replace Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R). Gillum lagged in fundraising and was slow to launch television ads in a state where such spots have traditionally been highly valued by political campaigns. But in the final weeks before Tuesday's primary, Gillum won the endorsement of Sanders, who campaigned alongside the Tallahassee mayor in Tampa and Orlando. Sanders on Tuesday congratulated Gillum on his victory.

"What has made Andrew’s campaign so powerful is that he’s not just working hard to win an election, he has laid out a vision for a new course for the state of Florida and our country. No one person can take on the economic and political elites on their own," Sanders said in a statement.

"Tonight, Floridians joined Andrew in standing up and demanding change in their community. That’s what the political revolution is all about and Andrew Gillum is helping to lead it."

The 39-year-old mayor fashioned himself as a progressive in the vein of Sanders, preaching the virtues of “Medicare for All” and a $15-per-hour minimum wage on the campaign trail.

Gillum and his allies argued that campaigning on progressive ideals would be a winner in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the governor's mansion since Lawton Chiles won re-election in 1994.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/404097-andrew-gillum-wins-florida-democratic-gubernatorial-race-in-stunning-upset