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THE VILLAGES, Florida (AP) – Andrew Gillum, a loyal follower of President Donald Trump in Florida's largest retirement community
This has nothing to do with his race, they insist, when asked about the 39-year-old Democrat who could become the first African-American governor of the state. Instead, the deeply conservative inhabitants of the Villages are convinced that a Gillum victory would trigger an era of intense crime, higher taxes and moral failings.
"He's going to kill all that's good in Florida," said Talmadge Strickland, a 66-year-old retired firefighter wearing a "Trump 2020" baseball cap at a rally for Gillum's opponent . "He's going to hurt us, he's going to hurt us with his socialist mentality."
At a time of deep political partisanship, there may be no state where the chasm is deeper than Florida, where there is a fierce cultural conflict over firearms, race, change climate change and the president. Gillum is sitting in the middle of the fray, his campaign is a proxy for the biggest fight between Democrats and GOP President Donald Trump.
Gillum's fate is inexorably tied to fellow Democrats whose success might determine congressional control. This is especially true for three-term Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, who could benefit from Gillum's appeal to young voters and minorities.
As advance voting begins in Florida this week, this link is tenuous.
"New voters and infrequent voters are all for us to win," Gillum told The Associated Press, questioned about its impact on the Nelson race. "I think they'll vote for both of us and it will be to his advantage."
Youth and minorities are traditionally among the least reliable voters, especially in the mid-term elections. Meanwhile, white voters in place, like The Villages, line up behind his opponent, former Republican Representative Ron DeSantis.
The Florida electorate this year is particularly unpredictable due to an unusual collision of events: a gigantic hurricane, the country's most deadly shootout in high school and Gillum's historic bid.
DeSantis benefited from Trump's occasional support on social media, including after the debate. And Gillum is expected to campaign this week alongside former Vice President Joe Biden and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. In the interview, he said he had been in touch with former President Barack Obama, who could campaign on his behalf.
Gillum acknowledged that some voters in Florida could oppose him because of his race, but insisted "that this voter is not the majority of the inhabitants of our state".
During the CNN debate Sunday night, he accused his Republican opponent of stoking racial animosity since DeSantis first warned Florida voters not to "ping that" by electing Gillum.
"The comment of the" monkey in the air "has all said," said Gillum. "He only continued during his campaign to attract all the attention he could on the color of my skin.The truth is that you know what, I am black.I have been black all my life.I know I will die in black. "
Meanwhile, a small but significant portion of the state's Republican base remains consumed by recovery efforts nearly two weeks after Hurricane Michael devastated the Panhandle. The state secretary has extended the early voting hours, but both sides expect a drop in voter turnout in the heavily Republican region, as residents struggling without electricity and housing in many cases.
Governor Rick Scott, Nelson's challenger, has not yet resumed his campaign activities since the storm landed.
The other state trauma – a school hit early this year that killed 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland – is looming during the races. Supported by the fortunes of billionaire Democrats Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, Florida youth are fighting to be heard.
Among those who have rallied to Gillum in recent days are Sari Kaufman, a 16-year-old Parkland survivor who has spent Sunday soliciting the Democratic candidate for governorship.
In an interview, Kaufman suggested that young people were more enthusiastic about Gillum than about Nelson, especially because of his status as a young candidate running for the first time in the state.
"If he succeeds and the other candidates succeed, it will mean that my classmates have not died in vain," Kaufman said.
African-American leaders are also trying to reverse the typical decline of their community in the mid-term elections. NAACP President Derrick Johnson said his organization was "micro-focused" to increase black participation this fall. A state-wide exploration effort is underway in Florida, where organizers hope to reduce black participation by at least 5% from four years ago.
It was easy to find evidence of Gillum's influence on so-called low-level voters in recent days, as activists from more than half a dozen competing groups roamed the state. to make sure they voted.
Anne Fazio, a 19-year-old student from Jacksonville, was among the thousands contacted at home this weekend by Koch's massive campaign for knocking out Americans for Prosperity. Standing in front of her door, she did not hesitate when a conservative volunteer asked her if she was going to vote.
"I vote for Andrew Gillum," said Fazio, congratulating his support for gun control and extending Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income residents.
Asked by the PA about her eventual support for Nelson, she replied, "I think I will probably vote for him – he's a Democrat, is not he?"
Republican DeSantis makes little effort to expand his coalition as he embraces Trump and his politics in a state that the president took away from 1 point.
During Sunday's debate, DeSantis promised to work closely with the Trump administration, while noting that Gillum had called for Trump's removal. "You must be able to work with the administration," DeSantis said.
He also dismissed calls from Parkland students to redouble efforts to reduce gun violence when he was questioned over his opposition to the modest gun control measures adopted by the Republican-led Florida legislature at the time. following the shooting at Parkland.
DeSantis said law enforcement officials and local schools "let them down" by not acting earlier to stop the gunman and solve his mental health problems faster.
Meanwhile, a flood of money is shaping the Florida elections.
Since the beginning of September alone, each party has spent more than $ 44 million on television advertising for the governor's race. Although it may be the most in the country, it is only a fraction of the expenses incurred in the Florida Senate elections, according to political figures monitoring media spending.
Stimulated by the $ 50 million Scott campaign, the Republican party has invested nearly $ 79 million in television spending since April, against $ 49 million for Democrats behind Nelson.
Returning to The Villages, Gillum's attack ads seemed to resonate with retirees gathered for an appearance in front of DeSantis that drew about 400 spectators.
"It scares me, I'm sorry," said 75-year-old Suzanne Zimmerman, a member of Villagers for Trump, about Gillum.
Her race has nothing to do with her fear, she said.
"Although Gillum says there are too many white men in the government," added Zimmerman. "So, it's a shame that he's actually a racist."
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