Democrat Philip Levine continues to build his campaign staff in his bid for the 2018 gubernatorial primary contest, announcing his deputy campaign managers — Jocelyn Mund and Alex Ring —  Friday morning.

“Jocelyn’s keen understanding of the Tampa Bay area allowed us to put down roots in the community early, where we continue to build a real network of grassroots support and grow our engagement in local events,” said Matthew Van Name, Levine’s campaign manager. “Alex will build on our campaign’s strength in South Florida and work to bring Mayor Levine’s message directly to voters.”

Mund had been serving as the West Coast area director for the Levine campaign. Prior to joining Levine, Mund served as  deputy finance director for U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, managing community outreach and public events in the St. Petersburg area.

“This election is a pivotal moment for our state–it’s an opportunity to take Florida in a new direction and elect a Governor who will put people over power,” said Mund.

Ring had worked as political director for SEIU Florida Public Services Union, where he developed and managed the  union’s public policy and political platform. He also served as a Legislative Assistant in the Florida House of Representatives to Representative Evan Jenne from 2008 to 2011.

“This year unequivocally brings the best opportunity for Floridians to change the course of history in Florida and elect a Governor who will empower working families by investing in public education, preserving the right to unionize, and ensuring access to healthcare is a fundamental right,” said Ring.

Recent polls have put Levine atop the Democratic four-person race. The most recent poll released earlier this week and conducted by Florida Atlantic University showed Levine, former mayor of Miami Beach, holding a slim 1 percent advantage over former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, 16 percent to 15 percent. Orlando-area businessman Chris King was in third place with 10 percent, with Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum following with 6 percent.