Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham is officially all in for Florida governor.
Graham declared her candidacy in Miami Tuesday morning, promising to bring a new era of common sense politics back to the Sunshine State.
She also wasted no time laying into Gov. Rick Scott, who has spent most of his two terms as governor promoting jobs around the state.
"Instead of passing commonsense economic policies, like raising the minimum wage and paid sick leave, Rick Scott repeats, 'Jobs, jobs, jobs!' — as in you’ll need three jobs just to get by," Graham said Tuesday.
The former congresswoman also said it was high time to eliminate high-stakes testing, a message which resonates especially with conservative groups who have pushed state lawmakers to cut back on statewide assessment tests.
“As governor, I won’t just criticize this culture of teaching to the test. I will end it,” Graham said. “Because high-stakes standardized testing has led us to one-size-fits-all learning. Yet our children, parents and teachers are not one-dimensional. Our children, parents, and teachers are not standardized. I will work with the legislature – and do whatever it takes, including using the governor’s line-item veto to end high-stakes testing.”
Graham is now the third Democratic candidate to enter the race, but she was one of the first politicians to openly discuss the possibility of running for governor last year when she announced she’d forego a second term in Congress in 2016.
Scott, who has served as governor since 2010, will be unable to seek reelection due to term limits.
A longtime Tallahassee resident, Graham first stepped onto the political scene in 2014 when she ran for Congress for Florida's 2nd District, which covered the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle and Tallahassee.
The new boundary lines split Tallahassee in half and cover Bay to Levy County, lines which heavily leaned in favor of the Republican Party -- so Graham decided to skip out on her reelection bid. She has spent much of the past year meeting with Democrats around the state, drumming up support for a potential run through party activists, local officials and state lawmakers.
Despite her her short stint in office, Graham has name recognition which has aided her own foray into Florida politics. Her father is former Florida Gov. Bob Graham, who held office from 1979-1987. Graham later served 18 years in the U.S. Senate until 2005.
The Democratic field is quickly becoming crowded with candidates -- and it only seems to fill up more and more as days go by.
Other Democrats like Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and Orlando businessman Chris King have already officially filed to run for the job and have started to pounce on the base, traveling feverishly across the state to rub shoulders with party faithful in an attempt to lock up the nomination.
Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and Orlando attorney John Morgan are also rumored to be pondering gubernatorial bids.
Graham quickly began to reel in support and endorsements from Democratic groups who say she is the right choice to lead Florida come 2018.
“Gwen Graham doesn’t need to tell Floridians that she’s a champion for women and families in her state – her record proves that beyond a doubt,” said EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock. “A tireless advocate for the middle class, Gwen has time and again fought for all the people of her state by building consensus, finding common ground, and defending our progressive values. Florida has never in its history elected a woman governor, and as someone who is incredibly passionate about the Sunshine State and the people who live there, Gwen is the leader Floridians need as governor.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
