No endorsement yet from Lawson in Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary

Homecoming week is here and the Florida A&M University campus will likely be visited by the two Tallahassee-based Democratic candidates in the governor’s race, Mayor Andrew Gillum and former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham. Both candidates have announced numerous endorsements from public officials, but so far neither one has been endorsed by the most prominent elected FAMU alumnus in North Florida.

U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Democrat, has yet to state who he will support in his party’s contest for the gubernatorial nomination.

Gillum has received the endorsements of U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, a FAMU alumnus, and U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson. He has also outpaced Graham in gaining the endorsements of current and former members of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus.

But Graham is still working gain the backing of politicians who represent districts with black majorities both inside and outside of Florida. She has the endorsement of state Sen. Darryl Rouson (District 19) of St. Petersburg. Graham was also endorsed by U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights legend.

Lawson has had some major public disagreements with both Graham and Gillum.

Back during her term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Graham chose not to vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker. But Lawson gave Pelosi his vote in the speaker election earlier this year.

In 2015, Lawson took part in a September 15 press conference organized by a group called “Citizens for Responsible Spending” (CRS). It took aim at the 23 percent property tax increase proposed by Tallahassee City Manager Anita Favors Thompson to help pay for 18 new police officer jobs.

Lawson and the other CRS members opposed the recommended tax hike and said that the city should come up with the money for the new police positions by making budget cuts.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, “Citizens for Responsible Spending presented an alternative spending plan — including a $100,000 cut to the mayor’s $477,000 office budget.” Gillum is the mayor of Tallahassee.

Gillum defended his office’s budget at a commission meeting the next day and accused some of the CRS members of making “flat out false and misleading” statements. He later supported a 4-1 vote on September 24, 2015 to raise Tallahassee property taxes by 13 percent.

A report by Sunshine State News said that according to a Sept. 10-16 poll by St. Leo University, “44 percent of Florida Democrats are undecided. Two potential candidates pull in double digits with former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., pulls 14 percent followed by attorney John Morgan with 12 percent. Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla., who is an active candidate, takes 7 percent followed by potential candidate Miami Dade County State Attorney Kathy Rundle and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is already in the race, with 5 percent apiece.”