Sen. Bernie Sanders (left) delivered a crucial endorsement — even if Andrew Gillum’s campaign for Florida governor seemed to be something of a lost cause. | Chris O’Meara/AP Photo Tuesday’s other big winner: Bernie Sanders

When Andrew Gillum was lagging in third or fourth place in most public opinion polls and almost no one thought he could win, Bernie Sanders was there.

The Vermont senator delivered a crucial endorsement — even if Gillum’s campaign for Florida governor seemed to be something of a lost cause.


In a primary season in which many of Sanders’ preferred candidates faltered, Gillum’s victory served as a reminder of Sanders’ pull with the progressive base as he weighs a second run for president in 2020. And it allowed Sanders to close the last of the year’s multistate primaries on a high note.

“Once again tonight we saw the power of an unabashed progressive vision carried forward by an authentic messenger in the person of Andrew Gillum,” said Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ 2016 campaign manager and closest political adviser. “America wants leaders with a clear agenda of protecting working people and marginalized communities. That’s as true in Florida, in Georgia, in Maryland as it is in New York or Vermont.”

Gillum had already been endorsed by billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer and the liberal donor George Soros when Sanders waded unexpectedly into the race. But Sanders generated a wave of publicity for Gillum, who was up against two free-spending candidates and former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, the daughter of a former governor and senator.

In addition to campaigning alongside him, Sanders helped Gillum raise money, and he used his sizable email list to send get-out-the-vote emails for the Tallahassee mayor.

Gillum’s victory followed losses this month by former Sanders campaign staffer Brent Welder in Kansas and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan.

With Gillum’s victory, however, Sanders now holds an affiliation with all three African-American Democrats running for governor in November. In addition to Gillum, he backed Stacey Abrams in Georgia and Ben Jealous in Maryland.

Gillum’s victory capped an especially successful night for Sanders in Florida. Sanders endorsed nine candidates across the state, including several state House candidates. Of the Sanders-backed candidates, four ran in contested primaries, and all of them won.

While Sanders wasn’t alone in his support for Gillum — the Tallahassee mayor was endorsed by Steyer and Julián Castro, the former San Antonio mayor and Obama Cabinet secretary — other major Democrats considering running in 2020, including Sen. Kamala Harris of California, did not go out on a limb to endorse him.

“We have a true progressive on the ballot, the first black major party nominee for governor in state history, and he is counting on our support,” said Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution, the Sanders-inspired grass-roots group, in a fundraising email Tuesday evening. “That is why Senator Bernie Sanders, local groups, and Gillum's grassroots army got out the vote to put him over the top in this primary.”

Gillum faces Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump, on the November ballot.

