Left-Wing Progressives And Establishment Democrats Battle In Florida Congressional Race (Video)

An Orlando congressional primary just became the newest venue for the proxy battle between left-wing progressives and establishment Democrats. Bob Poe, a Democrat running for Congress in Florida’s 10th district, picked up the endorsement of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida (DPCF) on Wednesday, August 17.

Democrats
Image via YouTube screengrab.

Of note, the organization has ruffled establishment feathers by going against Democratic establishment picks. Poe faces Val Demings, the choice of leadership at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and two other Democrats. The primary takes place soon on Aug. 30.

The DPCF issued its endorsement of Poe the same day it announced 18 other endorsements for candidates for state and local contests.

When Poe announced he was running in January of this year, he said:

“We’re here because we’re at a place in time, when, for me, words are no longer enough. We’re here because it’s time for action, action to meet the threats we face, and action to seize the opportunities that will fade and disappear unless we’re willing to take a stand and make a difference.”

Establishment Conflict

The announcement was just the most recent establishment-bucking move by the DPCF. The caucus previously endorsed Bernie Sanders before Florida’s presidential primary. Furthermore, it backs progressive Tim Canova over former Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz in her race for re-election to the House in Florida’s 23rd.

This endorsement also came days after the hacker, Guccifer, released what it claimed were hacked internal DCCC reports on Florida primaries. The documents showed party leaders asked Poe to move to a different Congressional district and run there.

A campaign overview listed vulnerabilities for Poe, Demings, and state Sen. Geraldine Thompson, another Democrat in the race. The documents note an IRS lien and $900,000 shortage for the Florida Democratic Party the year after Poe resigned as party chairman.

The same document describes Demings, Orlando’s first black police chief, as “anti-Black Lives Matter” and “pro-police.” For Thompson, the documents note state contracts to the Senator’s consulting firm and ethical issues with her daughter.

The DCCC released a poll this month showing Demings as the clear leader in this race. Demings led the poll with 48 percent of the vote, while Poe and Thompson were tied at 18 percent.

Poe’s campaign in July released a campaign ad accusing Demings of overseeing police brutality. Poe came out this year as HIV-positive, according to Florida Politics, and could become the first HIV-positive member of the House of Representatives.

Here’s one of Bob Poe’s progressive campaign ads:

Jacob Ogles has been covering politics in the state of Florida for most of the past 16 years. His words have appeared in The Advocate, Liberal America, Wired and Vibe, as well as local media including SRQ Magazine and The News-Press in Fort Myers. He voted for Hillary Clinton eight years ago and is glad the country has finally caught up. Follow him @jacobogles.