Washington, D.C. — This week The Collective Super PAC, the nation’s leading independent expenditure political committee working to support black candidates, announced a four-week, $700,000 ad buy ahead of the Florida primary.
The Collective announced a commitment to spending $1.5 million to help Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum get elected Governor of Florida at an event today in Washington, D.C. Thus far, the organization’s 501c4 arm, Collective Future, has contributed over $250,000 to Gillum’s affiliated PAC, Forward Florida, and its Super PAC purchased over $700,000 in air time via The Collective Super PAC.
“There are candidates in this race who are claiming to be progressive when their record shows the opposite. We feel it’s important to expose these inaccuracies and allow Floridians the ability to learn more about Andrew who has the credentials, experience and record as a leader to bring about the progressive change Floridians deserve,” said Quentin James, Executive Director of The Collective Super PAC.
The ad highlights Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham’s voting record against President Obama’s biggest policy proposals championed by progressives, including her support for the Keystone XL pipeline, which she voted for twice. The ad buy includes :15 and :30 spots, and will air in several markets, including West Palm Beach on ABC, CBS, and NBC local affiliates, on Youtube, and on cable in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.
“For years, Black candidates have lacked the resources to compete in a political campaign system that was not built to support candidates from traditionally under-resourced communities, let alone candidates that aren’t primarily self-funded. The Collective is working to provide an infrastructure to support thousands of grassroots donors who are working to achieve a more equitable political system and elect candidates who can best uplift all in society,” added James.
Florida presents unique opportunities in 2018, including the possibility of electing the state’s first African American governor and attorney general, flipping key congressional seats including Florida 18 and 27, re-electing Senator Nelson to the United States Senate and restoring voting rights to residents who have served their time. After the tragedies in Parkland, Orlando and Sanford, Florida needs new leadership, and The Collective Super PAC plans to utilize every tool at our disposal to make that happen this year.
The Collective is a collection of national organizations on a mission to recruit, train, fund and support black candidates running for office on the local, state and federal level. To date, The Collective has raised over $1.8 million to support black candidates around the nation and helped to elect 24 of their endorsed candidates to office. Through its various entities, The Collective has received over 13,000 individual contributions from over 6,000 people. The Collective is a grassroots-led and funded organization.
