Gwen Graham

Gwen on education
For Gwen, education isn’t just an issue on a position page, it is a passion that has defined most of her adult life. As a mother, Gwen raised three children who attended Florida’s public schools, volunteering countless hours in their classrooms. As a lawyer, Gwen worked for the Leon County School District, working with parents, teachers, and administrators to increase teacher salaries and raise standards.

From personal experience, Gwen knows there are a few things that work: hiring the best possible teachers and staying out of their way, ensuring that education isn’t one-size fits all, but works for the hopes and dreams of each individual student, and creating an environment that encourages parents to be more engaged in their children’s education.

But right now, Tallahassee is bought and sold by the education industry, with corporations making millions off for-profit charter schools and high-stakes testing. At the same time, every year, the legislature plays a cynical shell game with the lottery money that they promised would go to enhance our public schools.

When Gwen is governor, all of that will end. She will bring down the education industry and get our schools back focused on learning. She’ll work to increase teacher salaries to at least the national average, and ensure that the lottery money is being used for educational enhancements, like increasing technology in our schools, creating innovative education tracks, and fully funding Bright Futures and other scholarship programs so that our kids, should they choose, can afford to go to college here in Florida.

And if the legislature won’t work with her, she will use her bright red veto pen to reject all of their pet priorities, and bring them back to Tallahassee over and over again, until they get it done.

Gwen also knows that our economy is dependent on universities that turn out world class students. As governor, she will work to keep tuition low, fully fund need-based assistance programs, support Florida’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and encourage more partnerships between the companies looking to hire Florida students, and the universities who will educate them.

This isn’t new to Gwen. In Congress, she sponsored the Middle STEP Act, to extend technical and career education to middle schools and keep students interested in learning. She also sponsored the Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act to help students pay off their student loans.

Gwen on the environment
For Gwen, protecting our environment is personal. She grew up enjoying Florida’s natural treasures, from South Florida’s beaches to North Florida’s springs. That’s why in law school, she performed pro bono work on behalf of the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, in Congress she fought to protect our land and water, and as governor, she’ll reverse the damage years of neglect and pollution have caused to our environment.

Time is running out for Florida’s land, water and clean air. Our beaches, which attract millions of tourists each year, are regularly closed because of bacteria. Our rivers are filled with green slime algae. Our springs are at risk of disappearing forever.

These effects aren’t just damaging for our environment — they threaten our economy and very way of life in Florida.

Gwen is leading the fight to protect our environment. She is dedicated to reversing course and committed to putting Florida back on a path of conservation to protect our clean air and waters.

When a massive toxic sinkhole opened up in Central Florida and state regulators tried to cover it up, Gwen fought for the public to know by exposing Governor Scott’s secrecy. As governor, she will ensure that the public is aware of any pollution spill that could impact Florida’s drinking water sources.

She understands fracking is one of the greatest threats to our clean drinking water. That is why as a member of congress she supported local governments in the fight against fracking, and, as governor, she’ll work with the legislature or use executive powers to ban fracking in Florida once and for all.

Gwen has worked firsthand with ecologists on wetlands restoration, and, as governor, she will require the legislature to spend Amendment One funds how Florida voters intended – to preserve our state’s land and water.

She has witnessed the algae contaminating too many of our rivers, lakes and shores. She believes the state must work with the federal government to purchase land south of Lake Okeechobee to restore the river of grass and end the algae crisis killing our environment — and we must restore the integrity of the state’s water management districts.

In Congress, Gwen led the charge to save the Apalachicola Bay. She performed a Workday with oystermen to understand firsthand the difficulties they faced. Years of neglect have devastated the bay’s ecology and local oyster industry. As governor, she will take on Georgia and Alabama to ensure their mismanagement doesn’t further hurt Florida’s hard working oystermen.

Representing counties along the Gulf Coast, she saw the harmful effects of the BP oil spill for years. Drilling isn’t worth the risk to our tourism economy, environment or military operations. In Congress, she worked with Senator Bill Nelson to fight oil drilling off our beaches, and, as governor, she’ll fight Donald Trump to keep drilling off our Gulf and Atlantic beaches.

Gwen believes in the science — and common sense evidence — that shows climate change is already hurting Florida. She voted to support President Obama’s Clean Power Plan and took a stand against Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Gwen has put forward a full plan to combat the effects of climate change: With Gwen as governor, Florida will join the Climate Alliance of states upholding the Paris Agreement, ban fracking and offshore oil drilling, and create a green economy that works for every Floridian.

Gwen on the economy
Gwen is driven by her love for the people of our state, that’s why she is continuing her father’s tradition of Workdays — where she spends a full day of work in your boots, uniforms and hard hats.

Working alongside Floridians, Gwen has seen firsthand how politicians in Tallahassee have pushed the wrong priorities for the wrong people. They’re bought and sold by corporations and special interests, while too many real Floridians are left struggling just to get by.

We live in beautiful Florida. It should not be just the tourists and millionaires who enjoy our state — every Floridian should be able to enjoy all Florida has to offer.

That’s why Gwen is determined to do the obvious things other states have already done, like raising the minimum wage and providing paid sick leave to workers — but those commonsense ideas, alone, aren’t a full economic strategy.

To create jobs here in Florida for Floridians, Gwen believes we must expand technical and career-based education – starting at middle school and continuing through high school and in community colleges for adults.

She will work to invest in Florida’s infrastructure — improving our roads, bridges, mass transit and other infrastructure to relieve our congested highways, improve our quality of life, and attract new businesses to our state.

And Gwen will diversify Florida’s economy, to complement our tourism and agriculture industries with new jobs in technology and robotics, solar energy and healthcare. We must build an economy with jobs that will keep our children and grandchildren living and working in our communities.

Gwen on healthcare
Gwen personally experienced how difficult it is to go through a health crisis when her husband, Steve, was recently diagnosed with stage-four prostate cancer. They met with doctors, attended chemo treatments and faced the physical and emotional challenges, together. Today, Steve is in full remission — and Gwen is fighting to make sure every Floridian has affordable access to insurance, healthcare and positive outcomes.

Gwen believes healthcare is a human right and that insurance companies shouldn’t decide who lives or dies.

In Congress, she voted against the repeated attempts to repeal Obamacare and she fought to protect coverage for those with pre-existing conditions and to prevent insurance companies from discriminating against women. With Donald Trump in the White House, Gwen is fighting against Republican attempts to replace Obamacare with legislation that will raise premiums and increase costs for Floridians over the age of 55.

As Governor, Gwen will expand Medicaid and work to hold insurance companies accountable. She’ll work to reduce the cost of premiums and medications.

Civil Rights

Gwen Graham believes voting should be encouraged and accessible and that every Floridian deserves to be treated equally under the law.

She supports a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to returning citizens who have completed their sentences, and, as governor, would use the office’s executive power to restore rights to non-violent returning citizens.

In Congress, Gwen joined Representative John Lewis in co-sponsoring legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act. As governor, she will work to encourage and enable voting by:

Providing greater access to voting on college campuses Extending early voting hours and locations Fighting for automatic voter registration for all Florida citizens Restoring voting rights to those who have paid their debts to society Gwen believes returning citizens who have served their time deserve a second chance, which is why she spent a Workday with Operation New Hope in Jacksonville to learn more about criminal justice reform and efforts to help returning citizens with workforce training, housing and family reintegration.

Gwen also believes the 2.5 million Floridians with disabilities should enjoy the power of equal rights and opportunities, dignity, choice, independence and freedom from abuse, neglect and discrimination. She will work toward a barrier-free, inclusive Florida.

Gwen on energy
Gwen believes utilities companies have manufactured an artificial addiction to fossil fuels in Florida. They have charged Floridians for plants that are never built, cleared the way for pipelines into our state and polluted our air and water.

Gwen’s taking on utility companies and their Wall Street backers to end our dependence on fossil fuels and finally make the Sunshine State the Solar State.

She doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk — in this case, with a harness on a roof. Gwen personally spent a day installing solar panels on the home of a veteran to learn more about green energy.

And with that knowledge, she’s presented a plan to build a green economy that works for all Floridians:

Gwen will implement a renewable energy standard that makes our state less reliant on fossil fuels and continues President Obama’s Clean Power Plan to transition away from coal Gwen will appoint consumer advocates and commissioners who believe in science to Florida’s Public Service Commission to give solar companies a chance at competition with the corporate utilities Gwen will work with Democrats and Republicans in the legislature to end Florida’s ban on power purchasing agreements to give consumers and homeowners more choice in where their electricity comes from She opposes fracking in Florida and oil drilling in the Everglades or off our beaches. As governor, Gwen will ban fracking in our state. She has been a leader on the issue, challenging the state’s permitting of oil and gas exploration. She believes our unique geology and vulnerable aquifer are not suitable to fracking or drilling and that we must protect our water.

Gwen on Women’s Rights
For years, Republican leaders in Tallahassee and Washington have led the attack against women’s healthcare rights. They’ve attempted to completely eliminate a woman’s right to choose and to defund Planned Parenthood.

Gwen is fighting back. As governor, she’ll ensure Florida is a state that respects women and gives them the support they need to be successful. Governor Gwen Graham will veto any law that would compromise a woman’s right to choose.

She has a record of fighting for women. Gwen co-sponsored legislation to renew the Equal Rights Amendment, fought for Equal Pay, and fiercely defended a woman’s right to choose in Congress.

She’s continuing that fight by working toward parental leave and paid sick time, so no Floridian has to choose between their health and children or their paycheck.

That’s how she earned 100% ratings from NARAL and Planned Parenthood and why EMILY’s List endorsed her campaign on day one.

Gwen on LGBTQ Rights
Gwen believes LGBTQ rights are human rights.

When she ran for Congress in North Florida, pundits and analysts said Gwen couldn’t support LGBTQ rights and win — but on the first day of her campaign she stood up for marriage equality and said every Floridian should have the right to marry. Voters, even those who disagreed, respected Gwen for standing up for her beliefs.

In Congress, Gwen co-sponsored the Equality Act to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

While many cities in Florida have made progress on banning discrimination, the legislature has stalled a statewide human rights statute for years.

Gwen has pledged, as governor, she’ll fight for a statewide human rights statute that bans discrimination for gender, sexual orientation or gender identity and she will sign an executive order immediately doing the same in the governor’s office.

Gwen’s LGBTQ record has earned her a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign.

Gun Safety

As a mother, Gwen is heartbroken by the gun violence in our state. As a Floridian, she is incensed. And, as governor, she is ready to turn our anguish into action.

Gwen believes we can live in a Florida with fewer gun deaths, free from mass shootings, where every Floridian feels safe. But to save lives and build that safer Florida, we must take meaningful action: we must pass common sense gun safety laws.

When she ran for Congress, the NRA and gun lobby spent nearly $300,000 against her — but it didn’t work. Gwen beat the gun lobby and the A-rated, Republican Congressman they endorsed.

After the devastating Pulse Attack, while Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature refused to act, Gwen joined Congressman John Lewis and House Democrats in the sit-in to demand common sense gun safety. She co-sponsored legislation that would save lives: “No Fly, No Buy” to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing guns; a national universal background check system; and legislation to notify the FBI when an individual investigated for terrorism attempts to purchase a gun.

On February 14th, the nation watched in horror as children ran for their lives from an active shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In a matter of minutes, 17 people were killed, more than a dozen were critically injured, and countless lives were changed forever.

Following the shooting, Gwen re-iterated her proposals for gun safety, and she called on Governor Rick Scott to immediately suspend the sale of assault weapons until the legislature passed real gun safety legislation.

As governor, Gwen will fight to:

Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; Implement comprehensive universal background checks on all gun sales to stop criminals and terrorists from purchasing guns; Require abusers to surrender firearms when a protective order is issued against them to protect victims of domestic violence; Invest in mental health and give law enforcement the tools they need to prevent those with serious mental illness from purchasing or keeping firearms. As the wife of a law enforcement officer, Gwen understands the sense of protection and safety a firearm can provide to those properly trained on how to use them. She won’t allow the NRA to turn this into a false Second Amendment vs. Gun Safety debate. She respects law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen — and believes we can respect their rights while saving lives in Florida.

Gwen on immigration
Gwen understands that Florida is stronger because of our diversity. She supports comprehensive immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship.

In Congress, she voted against extreme Republican bills attacking immigrants — including legislation to roll back President Obama’s DAPA and DACA, which give legal status to DREAMERS and their families.

Gwen is the granddaughter of a Syrian-Lebanese refugee and believes we have a moral obligation to help those fleeing violence and persecution. She has personally met with Syrian refugees in Egypt. In Congress, she supported legislation that would certify the refugee screening process — and strongly opposes any effort to ban refugees. She strongly condemns Rick Scott’s proposed refugee ban and Trump’s Muslim ban.

Veterans and Security

While in Congress, Gwen was Florida’s only Democrat serving on the House Armed Services Committee, where she fought for our state’s troops, veterans and their families.

The first piece of legislation she introduced was the VETS Act — Veterans, Education, Training Act — a plan to hire personal care coordinators to help veterans recover from war injuries and navigate government red tape to receive benefits. Her legislation and pressure on the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs successfully led to the hiring of more recovery coordinators.

On the Committee, she advocated for Florida’s bases, to ensure our men and women in uniform have the support they need to safely complete their mission, and to support military families.

Gwen launched a program to encourage businesses to hire veterans, she worked to award veterans with the medals and recognition they deserved, and she returned more than $2.5 million to Florida families, seniors, and veterans.

Gwen and her husband, Steve, volunteer at the Annual North Florida Veterans Stand Down to help homeless and struggling veterans. She spent a day with the Honor Flight program assisting a World War II veteran in traveling to Washington and visited Florida heroes at a state-run veterans nursing home.

And she learned firsthand how important Florida’s role is in supporting our national defense while flying in a T-38 jet on a Workday at Tyndall Air Force Base.

With more than 1.5 million veterans living in Florida, our state has the third largest veteran population in the country. Unfortunately, today, Florida also has the second-highest population of homeless veterans.

Gwen believes Florida should welcome and support all those who have served in uniform. She will fight for affordable housing for our veterans and she will support the state’s veteran nursing homes that provide comfort to our greatest generation.

Gwen on Florida seniors
Gwen believes Florida should be a safe home for seniors, whether they’ve spent their entire lives here or retire to the Sunshine State.

In Congress, she voted for bipartisan legislation to strengthen Medicare by providing a permanent solution to renew doctors’ incentives and ensuring seniors continue to receive the care they deserve. She opposes block-granting Medicaid, which will greatly limit the funds Florida receives, and believes we must strengthen Medicaid coverage in Florida for seniors who rely on the program for long-term care. And she fought to protect Social Security.

Gwen sponsored The Senior Citizen Protection Act which would create a federal database of criminals convicted of scamming or abusing seniors to protect older Floridians.

As governor, she’ll work to keep property taxes low for seniors with fixed incomes, to protect Medicaid for those receiving long-term care, and ensure our state is safe for every citizen.

Gwen on ethics and government transparency Gwen believes sunshine is the best disinfectant and we must restore transparency to our state’s government.

In Congress, she went above and beyond what’s required to operate an office accountable to the people. She sponsored legislation to ban members of Congress from spending taxpayer funds on first-class flights and luxury rental cars.

When a massive toxic sinkhole opened up in Central Florida and state regulators tried to cover it up, Gwen fought to expose it to the public. She used Florida’s Sunshine Laws to request public documents and shine a light on the state’s secrecy.

As governor, she will fight to protect Florida’s Sunshine Laws, end backroom deals and bring transparency back to Florida’s Capitol.

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