Journalist April Ryan argued that progressive candidate Andrew Gillum’s upset win in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary proves there is a “quiet movement” building on the left.…
Journalist April Ryan argued that progressive candidate Andrew Gillum’s upset win in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary proves there is a “quiet movement” building on the left.
“As this president is trying to hold onto his base, there is this quiet movement of people going to the polls saying, ‘This is what we want,'” Ryan, a White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks and CNN political analyst, said on “CNN Tonight.”
“‘We want change too,'” she continued. “Let’s see who wins out in this fight.”
Gillum, who was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Democratic primary, would be Florida’s first black governor. He will go up against staunch Trump ally Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) in November after DeSantis easily won his primary on Tuesday.
Some have drawn parallels between Gillum’s stunning victory and the win earlier this summer by self-proclaimed democratic socialist Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who ousted longtime Rep. Joseph Crowley (D) in New York.
Ryan also compared Gillum’s win to Georgia’s Democratic nominee for governor, Stacey Abrams, the first African-American woman to be nominated by a major party to run for governor.
“The South shall rise again, for some,” Ryan said. “It’s very interesting. For all intents and purposes, in this Trump era, this should not be. Two African-Americans in red states, the reddest of states, rising to the top, and could possibly wind up getting the governorship of these states.”
Abrams is going up against Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R) in November, another GOP candidate backed by President Trump .
Though Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have had an uneven track record in their endorsements of progressive candidates, some have pointed to Gillum’s victory as proof their campaigning is working.
