While still down in the polls, Kendrick Meek is trying to bolster his U.S. Senate campaign with the help of the state's veterans.
Meek spoke to a handful of vets and other supporters Tuesday afternoon at a Democratic call center in Delray Beach. The event served as a formal kick-off for the 'Veterans with Meek' organization.
The majority of veterans' groups, like the VFW, are 501c3 organizations, which means they are unable to come out and officially support any candidates in political campaigns. But Meek says he has more than 300 individual veterans across the state who have signed on to help him win the U.S. Senate seat.
Meek told the group his uncle was a veteran of the Korean War and World War II, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Steve Carrilio, a war veteran living in Boca Raton, claims Meek's uncle, and his other experiences, give him an edge over Marco Rubio or Charlie Crist.
"He has shown and demonstrated that he can relate to veterans better," said Carrilio. "He has put it on the line as a state trooper, whereas neither one of his opponents have put it on the line."
Meek says veterans were a big part of his success in the primary and will be a big part of his success in the general election.
"We have a lot of veterans here," Meek said. "A lot of our strongest numbers of veterans are here in Palm Beach County But also in the Tampa-St. Petersburg areas and along the I-4 corridor.
Meek says he hopes the event will motivate other vets to get involved with his campaign and also serve as informal advisors to help him understand their needs.
Phone and e-mail messages to the Crist and Rubio campaings on thier support among veterans were not returned by this publishing.
Lane Wright can be reached at lane@sunshinestatenews.com or 561-247-1063
