Grayson To Run On Rubio's Senate Seat
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Congressman Alan Grayson has his eye on what will soon be Marco Rubio's old U.S. Senate seat.
The Central Florida Democrat officially launched his Senate campaign on Thursday. Grayson said he'll run on the platform of expanding Medicare and getting a raise for seniors in the for of Social Security reform. He also took a shot at Rubio's less than stellar attendance record and said he plans to always show up for the people of Florida.
"I wake up everyday knowing that 700 thousand people are counting on me to do something good in their lives. That's what drives me. That's what motivates me. That's what the state needs," said Grayson in an interview with CBS4.
Grayson's opponent in the Democratic primary is former Republican congressman Patrick Murphy.
In response to Grayson's decision, Murphy released the following statement.
"I look forward to a clean, honest discussion of the issues in this primary. I have built a strong record of working together to get things done, while remaining true to core Democratic principles like protecting Social Security and Medicare, fighting for a woman's right to choose and strengthening the middle class."
Murphy, 32, is a moderate who has garnered the support of many party leaders.
Grayson, 57, is a wealthy lawyer who's proud of being non-establishment. He calls himself a congressman with guts who answers to no one but voters. While his headline-making comments will certainly be discussed in during the campaign — as well as his messy divorce and some ethical questions about hedge funds — Grayson says his record of accomplishment and not his rhetoric will be what's measured in the election.
Grayson is convinced that a liberal Democrat can win in a statewide election in Florida, despite what other political observers believe. He made that point in a blog post Wednesday evening, headlined in all capital letters, "WHY DON'T DEMOCRATS VOTE? I'LL TELL YOU WHY."
"When there is no difference between the candidates, Democrats don't vote, and Democrats lose," he wrote. "When we put up a pseudo-Democrat or a neo-Democrat or a quasi-Democrat or a semi-Democrat for Team Blue, our voters are not amused. They are not fooled."
Expect that to be a theme.
Grayson wrote Wednesday that the reason Democrats lost last year's election to unpopular Republican Gov. Rick Scott is because the party coalesced around Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat former Gov. Charlie Crist.
"Democratic voters were appalled," Grayson wrote. "Democratic voters stayed home in droves, and the Democrats lost."
Don't expect party leaders to suddenly change their thinking that Murphy is the better general election candidate in a state that is politically more toward the middle, having elected a Republican governor five straight elections but supported President Barack Obama twice.
"Grayson has a following, he will work the progressive wing of the party very hard, but in the end I think Murphy will be more formidable candidate," said Rod Smith, a former state Democratic Party chairman who sought the Democratic nomination as a moderate in 2006. "If we're going to win the general election, Murphy is the more likely candidate."
Republican U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis has already announced he's running for the GOP nomination, as has little-known businessman and veteran Todd Wilcox. Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera is expected to enter the race next week and Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller is strongly considering a run.
As Grayson enters the race, he has a stronger social media following than Murphy. Here are the numbers as Grayson prepared to make his announcement:
— Facebook: Grayson, 127,458 likes; Murphy, 31,350 likes.
— Twitter: Grayson, 59,646 followers; Murphy, 4,174 followers.
— YouTube: Grayson, 11,175 subscribers and 10,756,712 views; Murphy, a combined 155 subscribers and 51,080 views between his congressional and campaign accounts.
Both men are formidable fundraisers and Murphy has also proven he can win a tough fight against a partisan favorite, though in his case it was tea party star and then-Congressman Allen West who he ousted, not a fellow Democrat. He beat West in 2012 in a close race and easily won re-election last year in a slightly Republican-leaning district.
Murphy has already wrapped up the endorsement of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as a long list of Florida legislators, mayors and members of Congress.
Grayson has scoffed at the support Murphy is receiving. Leading up to his announcement, Grayson posted on Facebook and Twitter a question asking voters who else in Congress can make this statement: "I am unbought and unbossed. I owe nothing to anyone but The People."
