BET: Kendrick Meek Continues to Set Himself Apart
http://blogs.bet.com/news/newsyoushouldknow/kendrick-meek-continues-to-set-himself-apart/
One of the more exciting and less toxic races to watch this election year is Democrat Kendrick Meek’s run for U.S. Senator from Florida. The four-term Congressman is running against Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Marco Rubio.
A few weeks ago, we blogged about how Meek had become a major contender in the race after Crist ditched the Republican Party and decided to run as an Independent. That move is likely to split the state’s conservative vote between Crist and Republican frontrunner Rubio.
Since then, Meek has taken a number of steps to set himself and his campaign apart from the pack.
Meek says, unlike his opponents, he has always vocally opposed offshore oil drilling, ramping up his rhetoric since the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Last week, he sent a letter to BP demanding the company assist with more dollars than the $25 million it has pledged to revive Florida’s tourism industry. That sector, the lifeblood of the state’s economy, has been severely weakened by the oil spill.
He also points out that he is the only pro-choice candidate in the race.
“Kendrick’s two Republican opponents do not stand up for values of choice and privacy,” said Kendrick Meek spokesman Adam Sharon. “Choice is a woman’s right that Kendrick has always fought for – a conviction that Governor Crist and Speaker Rubio do not support.”
Those moves are not lost on Floridians. Meek has secured the endorsement of organizations in the Sunshine State like the Florida Education Association. Recently, more than $10, 000 Floridians stood with him also in a campaign against offshore drilling. And his grassroots supporters have begun to have house parties all across the state in an effort to raise Meek’s political profile and introduce the state trooper-turned-lawmaker to more Floridians.
Meek, currently a congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives, represents the 17th District of Florida. If he wins the race, he will likely be the only African American in the United States Senate.