Speaking to about 80 Florida black elected officials, in a phone call Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings admonished them " not to buy into the illusion that Kendrick can't win." Hastings, "I told them about the historic significance of having an African-American candidate win in the South and setting the stage for President (Barack) Obama's re-election in 2012. I told them to tell any candidate that comes through their area that they can't support them unless they are visibly supporting Meek."Earlier this year Kendrick Meek became the first statewide candidate to qualify for the Florida ballot by gathering voter signatures, about 125,000 in all. Then emerged victorious in last month's Democratic primary against a hard-charging billionaire.
Recent polls show Meek closing the gap on former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the darling of the tea party, and Governor Charlie Crist, a republican turned independent candidate.