FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Gubernatorial candidates Byron Donalds and David Jolly are making their final pushes for votes in South Florida, with early voting getting underway and the midterm elections less than two weeks away.
Republican candidate Donalds’ running mate, Bryan Avila, spoke at Islas Canarias in Southwest Miami-Dade on Wednesday morning before heading up to The Floridian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale as part of the campaign’s “Defending the Florida Dream” bus tour.
“We’re trying to get into every single community, reach out to every single family, every single business,” said Avila.
Democratic candidate Jolly, also hoping to build momentum, had former President Bill Clinton join him at a gathering in Pembroke Park on Tuesday.
“The most important thing to me is that you win together,” said Clinton.
“Our kids and grandkids are looking up at us. One day they are going to ask: ‘When we are more divided than ever before, when our politicians were telling us to hate each other — mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, auntie, uncle0 — what did you do in that moment?'” said Jolly.
Jolly faces an uphill battle, with several polls showing him trailing his opponent.
The pair held dueling events across South Florida on Tuesday.
While Jolly was in Pembroke Park, Donalds stopped at another Cuban restaurant in Southwest Miami-Dade, where supporters packed into La Carreta.
“This is about making sure that Florida stays the best state in all of America. We’re gonna do that in 14 days,” said Donalds. “[We] could talk about the Democrats, but why? Because what we stand for is common sense.”
Both candidates talked about issues like affordability and immigration, as well as their visions for Florida’s future.
With Election Day fast approaching, the focus is getting supporters to the polls.
“I gotta tell you, it doesn’t matter where that bus goes, the energy has been off the charts,” said Donalds. “We’re really excited about the stretch run here. Fourteen days to go, we want people to get out and vote, and I think we’re gonna be very successful November 3rd.”
“Every vote matters. We’re down to maybe 6% of undecided voters, so that means the 94% who have decided, we gotta turn them out, have nights like tonight that encourage and motivate voters to show up and vote,” said Jolly at Tuesday night’s event. “If there are undecided voters in the room or in the community, I hope they heard a message tonight that resonates.”
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