Heading into the final month of the primary election, the amount of political spots being aired by the candidates is picking up in a big way, especially among the Democratic gubernatorial candidates. Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and current Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum are the latest campaigns to launch new media buys (see below).
The Gillum campaign announced Wednesday morning a $60,000 ad buy, called “What’s Impossible,” that will begin airing on cable statewide. The campaign will purchase a six-figure buy in Tampa, Orlando, and West Palm Beach starting the week of July 30. The ad focuses on Gillums rise from a low income family to being one of five candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.
The ad buy is the first by Gillum’s campaign.
“What’s impossible?” Gillum asks in the spot. “The son of a bus driver becoming Mayor of the capital city, or that Mayor standing up against the NRA so that guns couldn’t be fired in city parks and winning? How about running for governor and being the most progressive Democrat who would invest a billion dollars in education and create Medicare for All? Is it impossible to come from nothing, be outspent 10 to 1 and win? Share this, buy a TV ad and prove the impossible.”
“Mayor Gillum has the progressive platform, track record and personal story to take Florida back in 2018, and this ad will communicate those messages to Florida Democrats,” said Gillum’s Communications Director Geoff Burgan. “We’ve got all the momentum in this race, and we’re well-positioned to win in August and November.”
While Gillum focuses on his modest beginnings and rise as a top political contender for governor in Florida, his opponent, Philip Levine, continues to focus on the algae blooms in South Florida waterways coming from Lake Okeechobee.
The Levine ad, called “A Leader,” features the candidate on the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers, scooping toxic algae off of the river’s surface.
“This is what 20 years of neglect looks like,” Levine says in the spot. “Because Tallahassee Republicans ignored our environment, short-changed our schools, and endangered lives. I’m Philip Levine, and I’m running for Governor to do what Rick Scott refused to do: lead.”
The Levine campaign says this latest media buy will total $1.5 million and will air statewide.
“Too much is on the line in this election to not get involved,” said Levine’s senior adviser Christian Ulvert. “From protecting our youth from gun violence to investing in our public schools, and ensuring healthcare is a fundamental right for all and saving our environment from disastrous policies, Philip Levine is the Democrat ready to govern on day one.”
