Dem Fla. gubernatorial hopeful in ad: Shooting is a ‘wake-up call’

A Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Florida has released a new campaign ad calling last week’s school shooting a “wake-up call” for state residents to back new gun laws.

“When we send our children off to school, we want to know they’re safe. But here in Florida, despite 14 school shootings in 8 years, we still have some of the weakest gun laws in the nation. And the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High is a wake-up call we can’t ignore,” candidate Phil Levine said in the ad.

{mosads}

Levine, the former mayor of Miami Beach, citing the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed by an assailant armed with a semi-automatic rifle, issued a call for “reasonable” gun laws.

“We need reasonable gun regulation, better background checks, and a permanent ban on assault rifles. And if the legislature won’t do it, we will,” Levine said.

The candidate is running for the Democratic nomination to replace term-limited Gov. Rick Scott (R), a gun rights advocate who has faced criticism over his “A-plus” rating and campaign contributions received from the National Rifle Association.

In a news conference on the day of the shooting, Scott sidestepped questions about gun control, telling reporters that “there’s a time to have these conversations” and drew attention to funding for mental illness programs.

Early polling ahead of the August 2018 primaries shows Levine, a former businessman and millionaire trailing former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham by 3 points, according to Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy. But Levine remains within striking distance, as the numbers fall within the poll’s 4.5 percentage margin of error.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is currently leading Rep. Ron DeSantis in the Republican primary by 27 to 23 percent, though more than 40 percent of primary voters remain undecided on the candidates of both parties.