Ft. Myers News-Press: Democratic Senate hopeful Meek greets supporters in Fort Myers
During his second appearance in Lee County since May, Rep. Kendrick Meek stressed Florida's greatest needs: job creation and a solution to the oil spill.
Meek, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, spoke to a crowd Saturday made up not only of supporters but local commission and school board candidates at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
In the Senate race, Meek trails his Republican counterpart, Marco Rubio, and Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running as an independent, but he leads Democratic candidate Jeff Greene in the polls.
Meek, a Florida native, spoke of the dangers of offshore drilling in light of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
"There must be other ways to help our economy," Meek said, "because oil has definitely hurt our economy."
He stressed the importance of holding BP accountable for the spill, and urged Florida residents to get involved in raising awareness of the damage it has caused to the state.
The oil spill also shows the state's need for alternative energy resources, he said, which could bring more jobs as a result.
That, along with improving Florida's transportation system, could create employment opportunities to help the state's economy.
Albert Brown of Cape Coral said Meek's Florida roots give him an understanding of the state's needs and how they must be addressed.
Meek's appearance Saturday sealed Brown's vote, but it will all be up to voters in November, after the primary election in August, to decide how Florida will be represented in Washington.
"For things to change, we all need to be involved," Brown said.