Andrew Gillum Stresses Hurricane Relief/Gubernatorial Debate Canceled

With news that the first Senatorial race debate would be canceled because Governor Rick Scott wanted to put his attention on hurricane relief, news has now broken about the first gubernatorial debate being canceled because Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is also going to be placing his attention on hurricane relief.

In a Facebook video, Mayor Gillum announced that he’s “as eager to get back out there talking to folks. I still believe in the possibilities that lie ahead to transform our state… But we’ve got to get this job done here first.”

He continued, saying that “Over the past several days I have been unable to participate in dozens of campaign events, and this week that will include our participation in the debate sponsored by Telemundo 31 Orlando. I deeply appreciate the organizers’ understanding of the situation in Tallahassee. We will work diligently to ensure Telemundo and its audience are represented in the two scheduled debates and other possible forums.”

He also added that “My first priority, my first job, is to be the mayor and to do that job as effectively as I can. To that end, we’re still here in Tallahassee and not able to get back on the trail yet.”

Gillum's opponent, Congressman Ron DeSantis, has also been focusing on hurricane relief efforts with the rest of the statewide election candidates.

In the video, Mayor Gillum noted that the Tallahassee City Commission will be holding a meeting Wednesday evening. By that point, Gillum said that he hoped power would be restored for 90 percent of city residents. And, Tallahassee didn't receive most of the damage.

As explained, "We are extremely thankful that our community was able to, frankly, dodge what could have been a significantly more impactful storm." The Bay County area and Mexico City suffered worse damage, but Gillum added that regional response is highly important for Panhandle leaders.

And, by the end of the week, Gillum, along with his team, hopes to "get ourselves back on the trail with the rest of you working to flip Florida.”