Florida's governor is elected statewide and the head of the state's executive branch. Rick Scott currently serves as governor but is ineligible to run for re-election because of term limits.)
Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis survived their party primaries to face off in the November against four No Party Affiliation candidates and one Reform Party candidate. Write-in candidates Piotr Blass, Henry Choice, Jeanne Elizabeth Hunter, Hal Johnson, Anthony "Tony" Knox, Monroe Lee and Ellen Marie Wilds also qualified for the general election.
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NPA and Third-Party Candidates |
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Ron DeSantis
DeSantis was first elected to represent Northeast Florida's 6th Congressional District in 2012 and has been re-elected subsequently. He filed to run for a U.S. Senate seat in 2016, but dropped that bid when Marco Rubio decided to reclaim his seat.
DeSantis campaigned for and won a third term in a district that had been redrawn further south, losing St. Johns County but including all of Flagler County and most of Volusia County.
This candidate has not responded to the News4Jax survey.
Campaign website: RonDeSantis.com
Read: News4Jax candidate thumbnail on Ron DeSantis
Andrew Gillum
Party affiliation: Democrat
Age: 38
Candidate's family: Wife, R. Jai; children, Jackson, Caroline, Davis
Occupation: Mayor of Tallahassee
Education: Bachelor's degree, Florida A&M University
Political experience: Youngest person ever elected to the Tallahassee City Commission at age 23. Served as Commissioner from 2003-2014, and as Mayor from 2014 to present.
Summarize your political platform in 10 words or less.
Making Florida a state that works for all of us.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
I believe that access to quality, affordable healthcare is a fundamental right for all Floridians, not a privilege. That's why I support Medicare-For-All and protecting pre-existing conditions, and have proposed ways to make health coverage more universal and affordable. Florida also has some of the nation's worst income inequality, with nearly half our state's households struggling to make ends meet. That's why I've made priorities of investing in our public schools, vocational training, and rebuilding our state's infrastructure. And our state tragically underfunds education that robs our children of their future. That's why I've proposed a paid-for plan to invest $1 billion into education and pay teachers what they're worth — because I've watched a good public education interrupt poverty.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I'm the only Democrat running for Governor who isn't a millionaire or a billionaire — because I don't believe you need vast personal wealth or a famous last name in order to serve our state. As the son of a school bus driver and a construction worker, my lived experience is more reflective of the people of Florida than anyone else running. I believe it's time that regular people had a seat at the table again. And I believe my record reflects our success — I've presided over Florida's fastest-growing local economy, broke ground on 120 acres of new solar production, and made it easier for people to get a second chance at a good job.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I don't look like, have the lineage, or the bank account of a traditional candidate for Governor, but I believe you can rise from the bottom with heart, work, and a commitment to doing right by everyone. That's why as Governor, I'm committed to making Florida a place where everyone has a chance to succeed — no matter where you're from, who you love, what you believe, or the color of your skin.
Website: AndrewGillum.com
Social media: Facebook / Twitter
Read: News4Jax candidate thumbnail of Andrew Gillum
Ryan Christopher Foley
Ryan Christopher Foley is a No Party Affiliation candidate running for governor of Florida.
This candidate has not responded to the News4Jax survey.
Campaign website:
Kyle "KC" Gibson
Party affiliation: NPA
Age: 48
Candidate's family: Tamara wife
Occupation: Pastor
Education: Master of Divinity
Political experience:
Summarize your political platform in 10 words or less.
To make Florida Second to None in Education,Criminal Justice reforms and economic growth
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
Education reforms
Criminal Justice reforms
Economic growth
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I am not beholding to special intrest groups but putting my campaign and fundraising in the hands of the people of Florida.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
Being the Governor responsible for a real bi partisan legislative term
Website: KCIN2018.COM
Social media: Facebook / Twitter
Raphael Herman
Raphael Herman is a No Party Affiliation candidate for governor of Florida. He has unsuccessfully run for mayor of Miami Beach in the past.http://John Mercadante
This candidate has not responded to the News4Jax survey.
Campaign website:
John Joseph Mercadante
Party affiliation: Republican
Age: 54
Candidate's family: A wife and 3 children all girls
Occupation: Retired
Education: Public school and followed by a Trade school Northeast Institute of Industrial Technology
Political experience: Became active in the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County, also worked on project's with the Republican Party of Florida, my objective was to get into this election to minimize corruption in many form's.
Summarize your political platform in 10 words or less.
Revive public service, stop physical abuse's, enrich the state, accountability.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
# 1 The typical politicians, people simply don't like (or trust them), if I had to choose a Candidate for Governor, they all have documented issues, including greed. # 2 Push for the return of Agriculture, the Florida orange, pineapple's, increase in sugar all to enrich the State. # 3 cameras in nursing homes and homelessness.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
Meet them face to face, this is very effective, go to them, and tell them that the door will always be open to the people, not business as usual, your real and one with the people.(a side note, I've had 6" X 9" yellow decal's made with bold black print saying: EARLY ELECTION AUGUST 28, 2018, seems no one is aware).
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
Website: PatriotfortheState.com
Social media: Facebook / Twitter
Darcy G. Richardson
Party affiliation: Reform
Age: 62
Candidate's family: Single
Occupation: Historian/Author
Education: Temple University, Economics & Business Admin., 1975-78
Political experience: Democratic committeeman, 1978-84; Consumer Party candidate for Pennsylvania Auditor General, 1980; Campaign Manager, Eugene McCarthy for President, 1988; Consumer Party candidate for U.S. Senate, 1988; Independent candidate for Lieutenant-Governor of Florida, 2010; Candidate for Democratic presidential nomination, 2012
Summarize your political platform in 10 words or less.
End the corporate special interest and lobbyist-control of Florida politics and government
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
Protecting Florida's fragile environment.
Providing basic health care coverage for every Floridian while expanding state services for the disabled and our most needy citizens.
Make the wealthy pay their fair share. Nearly 81 percent of Florida's state revenues are generated through the regressive state sales tax and the gross receipts tax, i.e., a 2.5 percent tax on basic utilities such as gas and electricity. Consequently, middle-income and poor Floridians have been unfairly subsidizing the state's wealthiest citizens and corporations for decades.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
As one of the only non-millionaires running for governor, I will fight for the millions of Floridians forgotten and neglected by the two Wall Street-controlled major parties.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
He fought for ordinary Floridians, not the special interests.
Website: richardson2018.com
Social media: Facebook
Bruce Stanley
Party affiliation: NPA
Age: 34
Candidate's family:
Occupation: Self-employed Project Manager
Education: A.S. in Computer Animation from Full Sail University
Political experience: Organizer
Summarize your political platform in 10 words or less.
A Green New Deal for Florida.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
Creating jobs to build a 21st Century infrastructure, improving education standards, marijuana legalization and regulation.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
Florida's voters have been poorly represented by the two-major parties. I'm running as an Independent and I'm not taking corporate PAC donations so I can pledge to serve the people of Florida and not the special interests.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
As a 16 year resident, I have seen the quality of life consequences that have resulted from Florida's lack of investment in transit. Nothing is more important to me than leaving behind a modern transportation infrastructure.
Website: brucestanley.com
Social media: Facebook / Twitter