Gubernatorial Tickets Complete
September 6th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
Florida’s two gubernatorial nominees selected their running mates Thursday, meeting a 5 pm deadline required by state law.
Ron DeSantis’s pick, Jeannette Nunez is now the first Cuban-American woman to run to be the state’s Lt. Governor.
As a state representative from Miami for the last eight years, she rose to the number two leadership position in the House.
In her last year, she passsed legislation to keep the state on daylight saving time year round and she helped broker a deal ending child marriage in the State.
During the Presidential Campaign, Rep. Nunez supported Marco Rubio, tweeting in March 2016 “Wake up Florida voters, Trump is the biggest con-man there is.”
DeSantis’s primary win is largely credited to the President’s support.
Democrat Andrew Gillum chose to make his pick known first on social media.
He chose primary rival, Winter Park Developer Chris King.
“He beat me pretty badly. But I came to care for him, and I came to admire him,” King said in a Facebook live announcement.
Political scientist Carol Weissert says both nominees employed different strategies with their picks.
“Gillum really went for the policy side and DeSantis went for the politics side. Gender, ethnicity, geography. Those are the classic political decisions, rather than finding someone who looks like you ideologically,” said Weissert.
Most Governor’s promise that their Lt. Governor will have a meaningful role.
Few seldom do.
In recent history, only two Lt. Governors have ever moved to the top job.
One for three days, the other for three weeks after the death of Lawton Chiles.
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