Florida’s 2018 gubernatorial candidates

The whole of Florida politics is in flux during this primary midterm election cycle. While the Democrats are looking to flip the balance of power in the state legislature, the incumbent Republicans are trying to retain their advantage on that balance of power.

Many Floridians are keeping an eye at the top of the ballot, especially the gubernatorial race. Current Florida Governor Rick Scott has been term-limited out and has thrown his hat into the Senate race against incumbent Bill Nelson.

This leaves a vacuum at Florida’s highest elected official position, and the candidates vying for the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee have a crowded primary race. Watermark’s focus will be on seven of the frontrunners: two Republicans and five Democrats. These include Republicans Ron DeSantis and Adam Putnam, as well as Democrats Andrew Gillum, Gwen Graham, Jeff Greene, Chris King and Philip Levine.

Watermark reached out to each of the candidates multiple times with a list of questions pertaining to LGBTQ equality ahead of the Aug. 28 primary. We received responses from Gillum and Greene and spoke with King in November 2017 about his run for the governor seat. What follows is a brief look at the candidates running to become the next governor of Florida.

Ron DeSantis

Voted “No” on House Amendment 1128 to HR5055: The Maloney Amendment, a ratification of President Obama’s executive order making it illegal for federal contractors to discriminate on the basis of “sexual orientation and gender identity.” He did so on religious grounds.
Signed The First Amendment Defense Act, a religious opposition to same-sex marriage. This would have hamstrung the federal government from acting against someone who has discriminated against another if the discrimination was based on religious belief or moral conviction. This would be permitted if the religious or moral conviction assumed marriage is exclusively between a man and woman.

Adam Putnam

Voted  “No” on job workplace equality for the LGBTQ community for HR3685, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act Nov 13, 2007. Voted “Yes” on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, the Marriage Protection Amendment, Bill H J RES 88 Jul 18, 2006.

Andrew Gillum

Vows to protect the LGBTQ community. He advises that he will “make sure we protect all people, in particular those in the LGBT community, with an emphasis on the T, for transgender. Hate crimes have increased here and throughout the country.”
Supports same-sex marriage, advising that “when many in the panhandle said they would no longer issue marriage licenses to [same-sex couples] I stood up as the mayor Florida’s capital city and said, ‘come here and get married, where we recognize that love is love.’”
Sees conversion therapy as a “ridiculous, unscientific practice that has no place in civilized society.”
Seeks better healthcare for transgender individuals, advising they “are unable to access maintenance and healthcare other than via the emergency room. I think that’s unacceptable. It’s one of our main motivators for ensuring that we expand access to healthcare for all people.”
Seeks reform on sex education in schools that “exposes individuals and communities, particularly communities of color, men and women of color, to dangerous practices that are not helping us gain control of this epidemic.”
Seeks to ban certain high capacity weapons and wants to implement common sense gun reform like background checks to include people with domestic violence abuses.
Gillum, who has an openly gay brother, says he vows to help pass laws on LBGTQ civil rights protections that include employment and housing.

Gwen Graham

Has called for a ban on conversion therapy.
Has expressed solidarity with the LGBTQ communities throughout the state.
Vows to help pass laws on LBGTQ civil rights protections that pertain to employment and housing.

Jeff Greene

Supports the Florida Competitive Workforce Act. He asserts that discrimination is not part of his value system and won’t let it be part of Florida’s value system.
Says he will appoint Florida Supreme Court justices who are against LGBTQ discrimination.
Vows to fight against any attempts at a repeal of same-sex marriage.
Considers conversion therapy to be “barbaric” and commits to making a statewide ban on the practice one of his first priorities in office on “day one.”
Says he will be tough on hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ community, especially those in the transgender community.
Says he sees public education as a means to teach tolerance and acceptance. He supports age-appropriate, developmentally appropriate and comprehensive sex education.
Says he wants to ban the sale of military-style weapons immediately, get rid of the gun show loopholes and wants to get the weapons “off the streets as soon as possible.”
Says he became a candidate in order to promote equality.

Chris King

Advises via his website that he “will work to protect the right to choose, end workplace discrimination and close the pay gap so everyone can reach their fullest potential.”
Says he will get the Competitive Workforce Act passed, something he believes could have already been done if it wasn’t for the state’s current leadership. “I believe it’s leadership: the governor, the speaker and a lot of the guys running on the Republican side right now who just stopped that from happening,” King says. This should be something we all agree on: that you can’t bully and discriminate against a group of people.”

Philip Levine

Advises via his website that “as Mayor of Miami Beach, he led the first same-sex weddings in his city after the historic ruling in 2015. Under his administration, his city won consecutive perfect scores from the Human Rights Campaign for inclusiveness and tolerance––the highest in the state of Florida.”
Advises via his website that “just as he did as Mayor, [he] will make sure that Florida is a state known for its tolerance and inclusiveness.”
Advises via his website that as Governor, he “will fight to make the Florida Competitive Workforce Act a reality, to ensure that no one of any gender or sexual orientation faces discrimination on the job.

This article is part of our full in-depth story ‘Primary Season.’ Click here to read the full article on our website now

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