For retiring Congresswoman Gwen Graham, 2016 is all about 2018.
When announcing that she would not run for a second term in Congress back in April, Graham threw open the door to running for governor, the post her father Bob Graham held for eight years in the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s.
While Graham isn’t on the ballot this year, thanks in part to the latest round of redistricting which made her district far more hospitable to Republicans, she is staying busy on the campaign trail.
Last week, Graham was in Panama City rallying Hillary Clinton supporters, hosting a phone bank for the Democratic presidential candidate and praising her small business plan. Graham also sent out an email on behalf of Congressman Patrick Murphy, urging Democrats to back his U.S. Senate bid. Also last week, Graham urged African-American voters to take part in the process in a “Souls to the Polls” event.
Graham is staying busy on the campaign trail this week. On Thursday, she is scheduled to head to Gainesville for a fundraiser for Rod Smith’s effort to get back to the Florida Senate.
“I'm proud to support Rod Smith for Florida in his fight for stronger schools, a secure middle class and clean water," Graham announced last week, praising the former Florida Democratic Party chairman as someone who could send “real leadership back to Tallahassee.”
Nor is Graham the only member of her family. Earlier this month, her father, who served three terms in the U.S. Senate as well as his two terms as governor, went after Donald Trump for not releasing his taxes.
"Each day that passes without Donald Trump releasing his tax returns is another day that he is failing to meet a fundamental obligation to the American public,” Bob Graham said. "This isn't complicated. When you're asking voters to trust you with the future of our country, they deserve to know how you made your money and what you did with it.
"Our state is home to one of the strongest government transparency laws in the nation and Floridians expect Donald Trump to follow the example set by every other major-party presidential nominee since 1976,” Graham added. “Enough with the bogus excuses. It's time we find out what Donald Trump is hiding."
Graham is not the only Florida Democrat looking to run for governor in 2018. Other potential candidate for the Democrats include Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and state Sen. Jeremy Ring.
