Last week gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine, the former Miami Beach mayor, began running TV ads. The move expands his run statewide. And the two-week ad buy is significant, beyond the fact that polls have Levine trailing Gwen Graham: It marks one of the first times we see parents from the Parkland shooting tragedy directly endorsing a specific candidate.
Manuel and Patricia Oliver, who lost their son Joaquin during the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, appear in one commercial lending their support to Levine. Additionally, Fred Guttenberg, another parent whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was slain in the MSDHS massacre, appears in another spot for the former mayor.
These endorsements mark a stark change from the previous months, during which parents have engaged in various forms of political activism following the shooting but were reticent to speak out in direct support of particular candidates. Guttenberg is recognized as one parent who directly challenged Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio during the CNN Town Hall held shortly after the tragedy. He has been outspoken against the GOP for the party failing to enforce tougher gun laws.
Like Guttenberg, the Olivers have traveled the county as outspoken proponents of gun control measures. Parkland is more than a 30-minute drive from Levine’s turf on South Beach, but the couple are convinced in the statewide election he is the candidate to forward their agenda. Says Manuel Oliver in the endorsement, “I really believe that Philip is a doer and he can show it -- he's part of that team that we are looking for.” His wife Patricia follows with, “We're demanding gun reform now -- that's why we're voting for Philip Levine. And we ask every parent to do the same.”
Parent Andrew Pollack, who lost his daughter Meadow that day, has also been trying to make a difference politically. He has been forwarding state legislation, and with his surviving sons, sat in with President Trump to discuss school safety measures. Pollack has lent his voice recently to back GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis.
Taking a more direct action in the community, Pollack has been campaigning for Dr. Richard Mendelson to win a seat on the embattled and embarrassing Broward County School Board.
Another parent taking a more direct action by aiming for a School Board position is Ryan Petty. His daughter Alaina was another victim slain on Valentine's Day. It underscores the significance of the actions that day when a local School Board position receives the endorsements of national politicians. This man has said, I'm running. Petty has been endorsed by Rubio, Florida's junior senator, as well as U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
For the past six months many of the parents have been developing their voices and honing their activism. Gradually, we are starting to see the metamorphosis of their grief, as it turns into direct activism in races throughout the state. Their influence on the voters will be worth watching.
Brad Slager, a Fort Lauderdale freelance writer, wrote this story exclusively for Sunshine State News. He writes on politics and the entertainment industry and his stories appear in such publications as RedState and The Federalist.
