Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has already made history as the first African-American gubernatorial nominee for the Democratic Party. | Facebook Gillum picks King as running mate for Florida’s Democratic ticket

MIAMI — Following his historic primary win last week, Andrew Gillum had numerous choices for a running mate for governor, and limited time to make a decision. In the end he went with the guy he knew and trusted best: Chris King.

Gillum and King, an Orlando businessman who came in fifth place in the Democratic primary for governor, became good friends on the campaign trail, never attacking each other at debates as each vied for the unofficial title of best orator and progressive champion, making their ticket the most liberal Democratic ticket in Florida history.


At one point, when both were vying for third and fourth place in the primary, they had a secret meeting to discuss combining forces on a joint ticket. But neither wanted to be the No. 2.

“What this race is going to be about is where we want to go as a state. Not where we’ve been. But where we want to go,” Gillum said in a Facebook Live announcement with King and their wives. “We believe — collectively — that common sense, that optimism, that inspiration, that all of that will win out.”

King underscored the personal relationship between the two.

“I developed a friendship with Andrew Gillum over 18 months as we were competing,” King said before Gillum broke in by adding: “Remind me, man! 18 whole months!”

King picked up where he left off: “I was trying to beat him in running for governor. But in trying to beat him, he beat me pretty badly. But I came to care for him. And I came to admire him — his gifts. his talents, and most importantly his vision.”

In picking King, Gillum opted against the conventional wisdom that he needed a woman or an Hispanic candidate, a decision that had seemed likelier to some after Republican opponent Ron DeSantis chose as his running mate Miami state Rep. Jeanette Nuñez, the first Cuban-American woman to run as lieutenant governor.

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But Gillum has already made history as the first African-American gubernatorial nominee for the Florida Democratic Party; his supporters say that fact reduced the pressure to have a running mate of color or a woman. And so he decided to go with his friend and not former opponent Gwen Graham, state Sen. Lauren Book or state Rep. Amy Mercado, who is of Puerto Rican descent. Gillum was still embittered by Graham’s campaign, which he blamed for engaging in a whisper campaign linking him to an FBI investigation in City Hall in Tallahassee, where he’s mayor.

Not everyone was happy. Some wondered if King can attract voters, considering his campaign spent nearly $8 million for fewer than 36,000 votes — or 2.5 percent of the electorate, an average of $211.66 per vote. King didn’t even win his own precinct.

Others were concerned about the public-relations toll of an FBI investigation into City Hall, where Gillum is mayor. Gillum voluntarily met with agents without a lawyer and said he’s not a target — and no signs publicly indicate he is — but DeSantis is suggesting he’s corrupt.

Leslie Wimes, an African-American liberal activist, wanted Gillum to pick Palm Beach County’s state attorney, Dave Aronberg, to give the candidate law enforcement cover.

“I’m a huge Andrew Gillum supporter. I really like Chris King as well. I just don’t think King helps with the only thing Republicans are clubbing Gillum over the head with, and that’s the FBI/Ethics situation,” Wimes said in a text message to POLITICO. “A Lieutenant Governor with some law enforcement background to go with Gillum’s progressive ideas would have been spectacular.”

But Gillum’s campaign and top supporters say there’s only so much the lieutenant governor matters overall. And Gillum went with someone he likes, trusts and respects.

“This is a DeSantis vs. Gillum race. When you’re picking a lieutenant governor, you shouldn’t pander,” said Juan Cuba, chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, who was hoping Gillum would select King. “Pick someone you trust and someone who’s with you on your vision and campaign relentlessly. And Chris King has shown he can crisscross the state.”

Still, some Democrats hope that King’s pick would help Gillum in majority-white counties, which he lost to Graham. She finished second Aug. 28, followed by former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene.

Cuba credited Gillum for not playing identity politics and instead re-emphasizing the liberal message of his campaign. King shares Gillum’s politics, and the Harvard-educated debater is as articulate as he is rare: an evangelical on the political left.

King also gained a reputation on the campaign trail as being an unapologetic liberal who advanced new ideas and campaign messages, from promising to fight Big Sugar and never take a dime from the industry to calling for a tax on bullets to fund trauma care and school safety initiatives.

Henry Crespo, past president of the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida, praised the pick that for the first time, has a black man at the top of the ticket and a white man as his running mate.

“Why not have ebony and ivory? This is what it’s about,” Crespo said. “This ticket represents the future of Florida as it relates to race relations. This is a first. Black, white, evangelical, progressive, young, a young black man from an urban corridor, a young white man from the suburbs who went to Harvard.”