After launching her second bid for the White House earlier this month, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, heavy favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, is starting to staff up in the Sunshine State -- bringing on board a native Floridian and seasoned political operative to lead the charge here.
Currently, the Clinton campaign is hiring staff in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and American territories as part of its Ramp Up Grassroots Organizing Program. These new staffers are working to build a grassroots base for Clinton.
A Clinton staffer informed Sunshine State News Friday that Sandy Ducane will be leading the campaigns grassroots operation in Florida. Ducane will be based in Broward County but will be traveling throughout the state as he works to build a grassroots organization for the Clinton campaign.
Ducane is no stranger to Florida politics despite working for the Iowa Democratic Party in get-out-the-vote efforts in the 2014 election cycle. A native of Fort Lauderdale and a graduate of the University of Florida, Ducane worked as deputy state director in Florida for Organizing for Action, a group with ties to President Barack Obama, and worked for Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The Clinton staffer told Sunshine State News that having field organizers like Ducane already on the payroll shows that the candidate will focus on building an organization from the ground up and is not expecting a coronation for the Democratic nomination, despite easily leading every primary poll.
Marlon Marshall, Clinton's director of state campaigns, showcased the campaigns grassroots efforts in a Web video released on Wednesday.
In the meantime, a leading Florida Democrat tied himself to Clinton Friday.
U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., currently running for the U.S. Senate in 2016, sent out an email to supporters Friday as he called for overturning the U.S. Supreme Courts Citizens United decision on campaign financing. Praising Clintons opposition to the decision, Murphy, who portrayed himself as moderate and who reached across the party aisle in his 2014 campaign, went on the attack against extreme Republicans in Congress.
In 2012, I defeated Allen West by 0.6 percent in the most expensive U.S. House race in history, Murphy wrote. Ive seen firsthand how dark money in politics has made extreme tea party candidates competitive in places where they shouldn't be. And Ive seen too many extreme Republicans come to Congress.
The bottom line is that Im disgusted by what the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision has done to our democracy, Murphy added. Now that Hillary Clinton has brought the fight to overturn Citizens United to the national stage, we must stand with her.
Hillary is right. We must do whatever it takes to get unaccountable money out of politics -- even if it takes a constitutional amendment, Murphy continued.
U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., has opened the door to running against Murphy in the Democratic primary.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
