ST. PETERSBURG — A few things you're sure to hear when Andrew Gillum addresses a crowd: References to his grandma. Generous sprinklings of "ya'll." Lots of crowd laughter.

"That's a shame," Gillum, at St. Petersburg College Friday, said of teachers struggling to find affordable housing in many areas of Florida. "My grandmother used to say 'crying shame.' Because some shames are worth crying about."

The liberal Tallahassee mayor and Democratic nominee for governor assured the crowd of several hundred people that he will be no pushover Sunday night when he debates Republican Ron DeSantis on CNN: "Don't let this smooth taste fool you. I graduated high school in Gainesville — but I grew up in Miami-Dade."

IN TAMPA: After break for Hurricane Michael, Andrew Gillum returns to stump in Tampa

COMING SUNDAY: First debate between Ron DeSantis and Andrew Gillum this Sunday in Tampa

NEXT WEEK: Joe Biden is coming to Florida next week to rally for Andrew Gillum and Bill Nelson

Gillum, 39, is among that rare breed of politician who makes connecting with an audience look effortless. Even people who disagree with politicians of this ilk on everything can't entirely dislike them. Marco Rubio has that innate charm. So did Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan.

In St. Petersburg and Tampa on Friday, Gillum showed off the homespun, upbeat charm that helped him build vast grassroots enthusiasm to win the Democratic nomination when almost nobody thought he had a chance against much better-funded opponents.

OCTAVIO JONES | TimesGubernatorial democratic candidate Andrew Gillum takes selfies with supporters after speaking to a packed music center during a town hall at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday, October 19, 2018.

St. Petersburg Community organizer Winnie Foster asked him a question about polluters at the town hall-style event and noted that the campaign had used a photo of her and Gillum in an ad.

"Miss Winnie, always good to see you. With your intelligence, and your brilliance and your beauty, how could I not use you in an ad?" the candidate responded.

Of course Florida should accept billions of dollars in federal funding to expand Medicaid, he said. Not only would it help Florida's economy and keep hundreds of thousands of Floridians from relying on emergency room services rather than preventative care, but it's the right thing to do.

"This is personal for me. I remember waiting for the free dental clinic to come through our neighborhood in order to have our teeth cleaned. I remember as a kid that there was nothing wrong with going to the emergency room because that's just what you did. I didn't know you were supposed to have a regular relationship with a doctor," said Gillum, the son of a bus driver and construction worker and the first of seven children to graduate high school.

"As my grandmother says, 'When you know better, you do better.' Well, we know better."

RELATED: On the number one issue on Floridians' minds Ron DeSantis still is mostly mute

Friday marked Gillum's return to the campaign trail after 11 days of preparing for and responding to Hurricane Michael. He noted that Desantis and the Florida Republican Party ran ads attacking him in north Florida even as storm bore down on the area.

"My opponent spent his time running negative commercials all across the northern Panhandle while people were running for their lives," Gillum said. "Mr. DeSantis failed the first test of leadership. He ran immediately to the gutter instead of running immediately to the aid of fellow Floridians."

The DeSantis campaign said defended its response to Michael.

"We converted our campaign events into hurricane supply drives, and we hand-delivered those supplies," said DeSantis' communications director, Stephen Lawson. "Our Lieutenant Governor candidate Jeanette Nuñez was at the EOC and in many of the impacted areas. Casey DeSantis even went back to the Panhandle yesterday to hand out more supplies to those impacted. Meanwhile, Andrew Gillum's running mate has been running around Florida doing campaign events during the storm. Andrew Gillum giving Ron DeSantis advice on leadership is laughable."

The Tallahassee mayor has sought to run a campaign more positive than negative, promoting his progressive ideas for Florida more than attacking Republican nominee Ron DeSantis.

"When they go low, we go vote," he exhorted the crowd. "We have to get out there and vote, y'all."

THE BUZZ: Florida governor: Ron DeSantis is a textbook candidate for Republicans. But will it be enough?

Gillum predicted a barrage of attacks from DeSantis during Sunday's CNN debate.

"He's going to call me a socialist. He's going to call me corrupt. He's going to throw his covered up versions of racial epithets. He's going to call me anti-Israel," Gillum said.

"He takes his cues from Donald Trump. Donald Trump has no relationship to the truth either. I'm going to try t do everything I can to try to keep this conversation at a high level. I'm going to do everything I can to have debate that is deserving of the people of Florida. But if I have to go there, I'm going to go there."

The crowd of Democrats roared their approval.

Gillum noted that he is campaigning for votes — and drawing big crowds — in heavily Democratic counties and heavily Republican counties.

He recalled speaking to a gathering of Democrats at The Villages, a sprawling Central Florida development loaded with Republicans

"Ya'll know how the Villages is? Charlie knows the Villages," he said, nodding to U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist. "Charlie won The Villages — when he was a Republican."

OCTAVIO JONES | TimesU.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg smiles when he’s recognized by Gubernatorial democratic candidate Andrew Gillum while speaking to a packed music center during a town hall at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday, October 19, 2018.

Here's how the event went down in tweet form:

I am at the @AndrewGillum town hall at St. Petersburg College for @TB_Times. Follow along for updates. Here’s a cat that’s in the parking lot: pic.twitter.com/7kQiYGj3n6 — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Dozens of people are being turned away outside because the event is at capacity. Several frustrated Gillum supporters outside. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Probably 200, 300 people in this small theater in St. Pete College for @AndrewGillum. It’s so packed, I overheard a discussion about whether to let in a local Democratic candidate for Florida House of Reps. (That candidate was let in.) — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“Perfect Places” by Lorde is playing over the loudspeaker. Editorial note: I approve of this selection. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

More on this @AndrewGillum event: It’s Gillum’s first of this kind since Hurricane Michael hit Tallahassee. It’s billed as a “Town Hall in St. Petersburg on Florida’s Resiliency.”



Organizers look to be gathering written questions into a basket. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Crowd now clapping along to “I want you back,” by the Jackson 5. (I also strongly approve of this music choice.) — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Plenty of politics in the opening prayer:



“Lord god almighty, give us Andrew Gillum and Chris King as our governor and lieutenant governor.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

.@Kriseman starts things off:



“I’m excited to know that we can elect a mayor as governor. That excites me because mayors get things done.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

More Kriseman:



Much like Gillum helped Tallahassee recover from #hurricanemichael, he’s going to help Florida recover from 20 years of Republican mismanagement. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

.@CharlieCrist is here as well:



“This is the first time (Gillum) has been campaigning since the storm. He’s got his priorities in order.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Crist calls .@andrewGillum out to the stage, and he gets a huge standing ovation.



“I must be the only person with a job! It is noon!” Gillum jokes right off the bat. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“We’ve got 18 days to bring this thing home,” Gillum says in a familiar refrain. He recognized the elected officials and candidates for state and local office in the building. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum telling a story about the environmental rally he held in Martin County the week before the Michael hit.



“We were expecting 100, 200 people maybe. And we showed up, St. Pete, and there were 1500.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“If anyone wants to disassociate a storm as powerful as this hurricane was from the warming from our seas and our oceans, we’ve got to stand up and say ‘they’re connected,’” @AndrewGillum says, connecting Hurricane Michael to climate change. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum touting his city’s post-hurricane recovery effort. Shouts out the linemen, utility workers and others who helped get Tallahassee’s power back. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

.@andrewgillum slamming @rondesantis for airing negative ads during the hurricane:



“These times don’t conceal who we are, they reveal who we are,” he says. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

.@andrewgillum with a dig at @flgovscott, who has said he doesn’t know whether the climate is changing because he’s not a scientist:



“I’m not a doctor, but if I’m sick, I’m going to see one,” Gillum says. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum devotees playing a drinking game, tip one back. He just said the phrase “blue green algae...of guacamole content” to describe the bloom in Lake Okeechobee. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum says the Florida economy has failed too many for too long. Says he wants to rebuild the state around a green economy. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum on why he supports a $15 minimum wage:



No one who works 40 hours a week ought to earn a poverty wage, Gillum says. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“We’ve got to expand Medicaid, not just for those 800,000 people (who are eligible), we’ve got to expand Medicaid for those of us with health insurance,” Gillum says. He says people going to the emergency room for care is making health care more expensive for everyone. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum now talking taxes. He says it’s a lie that he wants to impose an income tax on Florida.He does want to increase taxes on Florida corporations to pay for higher teacher salaries.



“My opponent has far too many degrees not to get this,” Gillum says. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

.@AndrewGillum, on the GOP tax bill:



We were promised wage increases. “What did corporations do? Stock buybacks.”



For more on Gillum and taxes, read my explainer: https://t.co/YjQYelQynh — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“We don’t have a jobs gap in this country or in this state, we have a skills gap,” Gillum says, moving on to education.



(I’ve said this before, but technical education is one of the few areas @AndrewGillum and @RonDeSantisFL agree on.) — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum: “We’ve got to fight like our lives depend on this thing, because they do depend on it.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Another light moment as Gillum winds his stump speech down:



“You can tell I haven’t been on the trail in 11 days. I am talking my butt off.”



Gillum is now taking audience questions. He says he has not seen the questions before. (The crowd seems overwhelmingly friendly.) — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Question is about gun violence.



“What kind of legislation will you pass to end gun violence and crime in our communities?”



Gillum says it’s hard to eradicate gun violence in communities where people have lost hope. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum on gun violence, cont.: mentions 1000 mentors program in Tallahassee and his city’s “restorative justice” program.



“The best way to deal with crime is to make sure young people don’t go deeper and deeper into the criminal justice system.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum also says to fight gun violence, we’ve got to limit people’s access to guns.



Gillum giving a familiar line about his court fight with the NRA. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“If you are a convicted domestic violence abuser, you should not have access to a gun that can snuff out the life of a loved one,” Gillum says. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“The NRA wants to run roughshod over this state, well they’ve got another thing coming when we win this election,” Gillum says.



(Worth noting that Gillum will need the help of the legislature to pass major gun reforms.) — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Next question is from Carol Vaughn (sp?) from Zephyrhills, who says she’s gone up to strangers to ask whether they’re registered to vote.



She asks about brain drain from Florida.



“I’m hoping you have a good idea to keep the good talent in Florida.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

In response to the question about brain drain, Gillum says he is sick of hearing from college friends, “you’re still in Florida?” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum says the issue of brain drain is a quality of life issue. Affordable housing, education, etc. is key, he says. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Also says transportation is key.



“If you’re spending 2.5 hours going to and from work, that’s not a good quality of life.”



Slams Gov. Scott for not accepting federal funds for high speed rail. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“There is not a thing I agree with Donald Trump on,” @andrewgillum says. “If he offers me $2.5 billion, I’m going to take it.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

.@AndrewGillum says he needs voters to send him Democratic representatives if he’s elected. (Politifact says true, if he wants to accomplish his major policy goals.) — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Questioner asks whether polluters should bear the societal cost for climate change:



Gillum says they will pay their “fair share” under his administration.



Gillum calls Ron DeSantis an “election-year environmentalist.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Re: pollution — Gillum says big sugar is problematic, but also a problem is “big development.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum stops himself before he launches in on an extended rant against Ron DeSantis, but not before slamming the Republican for not having a health care plan or a transportation plan. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum now previewing Sunday’s debate against DeSantis. Says he wants it to be a substantive debate, but...



“If I have to go there, I’m going to go there.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum says he’s ready to be called a “socialist,” “corrupt,” “anti-Israel,” etc. But he’s ready to fight back, he says.



“Don’t let the smooth taste fool you,” Gillum says. “I was raised in Gainesville but I’m from Miami-Dade.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

This is the last question. (Gillum has taken only 4 or 5.)



Question from St. Pete college professor: “what is your vision for the community college system in the state of Florida?”



Gillum says Florida’s community colleges are tremendous, but in need of more funding. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

A note on the enviornment here: it’s loose, fun, spirited. Gillum seems really confident and the crowd is behind him. Doesn’t feel much like a town hall, more like a rally. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“It is heartbreaking to see the way they have been subjugated and relegated to a diminished place in our state,” Gillum says of community colleges. (Light on specifics, but he says “we’re going to run their budgets.”) — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum, as he so often does, goes biographical. Says his grandmother returned to Santa Fe community college to get a degree. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum wrapping up now:



“I’ve got one ask: when they go low, we go vote.” — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum touting his stops in Flagler and Putnam county as evidence he’s willing to campaign anywhere. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

Gillum talking about his visit to The Villages, the massive retirement community and conservative stronghold: “The room was teeming with over 500 people, and not one face looked like mine.” Huge laugh. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

“It’s going to take every single one of us taking to our neighbors, talking to our friends, talking to that cousin we can’t stand to talk politics with,” Gillum says. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

In closing, Gillum says, "Florida doesn't want to be Washington, D.C. We want a government that works."



He concludes his remarks, and the audience chants, "Bring it home!" — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018

As I leave the event space, there's a crowd of people around the candidate entrance. The political equivalent of a stage door. Don't think I've ever seen that. — Kirboo Shrillson 👻 (@KirbyWTweets) October 19, 2018