HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - Both major candidates for Florida’s governor are crisscrossing the state to fight for votes as early voting is well underway.
Republican Byron Donalds appeared at a rally in Hialeah with his Lt. Gov. pick, former Florida State Sen. Bryan Avila and other local officials.
“And let’s make sure that the next governor of the free state of Florida is Byron Donalds!” said Avila to a cheering crowd.
7News cameras captured Donalds greeting supporters outside of his campaign bus upon his arrival. The event is meant to boost Republican turnout in Miami-Dade County.
The Hialeah event will also include guest speaker Donald Trump Jr.
Speaking to 7News during the event, Donalds said he wants all voters to support his campaign, including independents.
“I think independent voters in our state love Florida. They love everything about this state. They just want it to be more affordable. And if you look at our plans compared to our opponent, we can lower costs in insurance and housing costs here in the state of Florida,” he said.
Latest polls show a tight race of between two and four points, with Donalds taking the edge.
“For us right now is to make sure that we get people to the polls and we get out and vote,” said the Republican nominee.
Across the Sunshine State, official numbers show about 3.5 million Floridians have already voted in the general election. Republicans hold a slight edge in the early voting numbers.
Up north near Daytona Beach, Democratic candidate David Jolly held a rally alongside his Lt. Gov. pick Gwen Graham.
“The next governor of the state of Florida, David Jolly,” said Graham to a crowd of supporters.
Jolly hopes to break the three-decade Republican “spell” over the Florida Governor’s Mansion, telling voters the race is a toss-up.
“This is a moment for us to return to the basic opportunity that this nation was founded upon, that everybody deserves access to freedom, economic and personal freedom,” said Jolly. “This election is decided by the people who show up, the people who show up.”
Both men will continue crisscrossing the state in the lead-up to Election Day, which falls on Nov. 3.
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