Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.); former Fla. gubernatorial candidate and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum
Photo: Scott Eisen (Getty), Joe Skipper (Getty)By Dara Sharif (The Root)
Could a Warren-Gillum ticket be in the works? An election 2020 ticket featuring Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Gillum, the Democratic former mayor of Tallahassee, Fla., who came thisclose to being the Sunshine State’s first black governor?
The Massachusetts senator’s camp says that’s not at all in the cards. But the Daily Beast reports that its sources say that Warren is indeed “courting” Gillum.
Per the Daily Beast:
sources said the talks between Warren and Gillum resemble the kind of courtship that happens when a leading presidential candidate is exploring potential vice presidential contenders. One source briefed on the communications said the two Democrats have been in contact over the course of the campaign and that it is the “strong impression” that Gillum is a possible vice presidential contender for Warren, who has risen in recent months to become a frontrunner in the 2020 primary, the source said.
“If you’re trying to win Florida, I would be courting Andrew and that’s what’s happening,” a second source familiar with the conversations said.
Despite losing the governor’s race last year by less than 2 percentage points to Trump fave Ron DeSantis, Gillum has been a rising star among the Democratic Party.
And as the Daily Beast explains, with Florida being a major battleground state, a Gillum vice presidential pick could be a savvy move. In addition, having Gillum on the ticket could perhaps give Warren a boost among black voters, a bloc she’s struggled to win over completely.
But, at least for now, both Warren and Gillum are playing it close to the breast.
As for Gillum’s team, the Daily Beast reports:
A source close to Gillum’s political team would not confirm specific talks, but stated that Gillum is in communications with many of the [Democratic presidential] candidates and noted that Florida is a critical state to win the presidency.
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