DeSantis, Gillum Stump For Votes In South Florida Friday
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- The gubernatorial race is heating up and these candidates are pushing to get people to the polls. Today it was all about getting out into the community and sharing their visions.
"By showing out and voting like our lives depend on it," Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum said.
Mayor Gillum and his opponent Ron DeSantis are both pushing their campaigns at local events with less than 40 days until election.
Gillum was heating things up in Little Havana Friday night.
"We have a chance of flipping this state back into the Democratic column for the first time in 24 years," he said.
He joined supporters and volunteers at a grassroots event at the historic Ball and Chain nightclub.
When asked about his most recent surge in the polls with DeSantis trailing behind a total of six points, he said he never really liked the polls much and the only poll that really matters is the one on Election Day.
"My message between now, over the next 39 days, is to organize activate and participate in this process. If you do that we win."
But DeSantis was also no the trail today. He made a campaign stop earlier in the day speaking at a roundtable discussion at the greater Miami chamber of commerce.
"We're going to make sure people in the state know the state and know what they have to do to win," DeSantis said.
In a one on one interview, DeSantis challenged the mayor once again to a political debate on "Facing South Florida" hosted by cbs4's Jim DeFede. DeSantis says Gillum has repeatedly rejected that offer.
"You can't just be in a safe space when you're running for governor you have to mix it up so he should accept DeFede's debate and I think that would be good for the people of Florida."
But debate or no debate, both men are vying for a coveted spot. Now it's all in the hands of the voters and their vision of what will make Florida a success.
And on October 23, Hillary Clinton will join Gillum in Florida for a joint appearance.
Meanwhile, DeSantis will be working with Republican strategist Susie Wiles. She was a key figure in President Donald Trump's Florida win in 2016.
