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Progressive candidate wins Florida governor primary in major upset

He will run against Trump ally Rep. Ron DeSantis.

Photo of Kris Seavers

Kris Seavers

Andrew Gillum won Florida's Democratic primary election for governor.

Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum on Tuesday proved victorious over Gwen Graham, a former Congressman, in Florida’s Democratic primary election for governor. The progressive candidate’s win is widely seen as an unexpected upset to the state’s established politicians.

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Gillum, 39, is the first Black candidate to win a nomination for state office in Florida, according to BuzzFeed News. He will run for governor against Rep. Ron DeSantis, an ally of President Donald Trump who ran an ad where he encouraged his infant daughter to “build the wall!” with toys.

Vox reports that Gillum has proposed raising the state’s corporate tax to benefit education, raising the minimum wage for workers to $15 per hour, and national single-payer healthcare.

On Twitter, progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who endorsed Gillum, congratulated him on his primary win.

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Gillum isn’t the first progressive to take a primary in a surprising upset. In June, 28-year-old Democratic Socialist candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beat out incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) in the primary race to the New York House.

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H/T Vox

 
The Daily Dot