Winter Park businessman Chris King joins Florida Governor candidate Andrew Gillum on Democratic ticket

Politician and Winter Park businessman Chris King is back on the campaign trail and still could be on his way to Tallahassee.

Democratic nominee for Florida governor Andrew Gillum announced Thursday, Sept. 6, that King would stand by his side as his lieutenant governor and running mate for the general election in November.

The announcement came via Facebook about a week after the Aug. 28 primary.

“We leaned into wanting to choose an individual who has the ability to be governor of the great state of Florida, but we also talked about the fact that this is a difficult journey — that it’s hard and it’s difficult work at times,” Gillum said in the announcement. “What we want to do — not only in this race but when we win the race for governor — is to have a partner in helping to lead this state.”

King said in the announcement he and his family couldn’t more excited to be a part of the Democratic ticket with Gillum and his family.

“This is not a political marriage,” King said. “This is not a marriage of convenience. I developed a friendship with Andrew Gillum over 18 months as we were competing, and I was trying to beat him in running for governor. In trying to beat him, he beat me pretty badly, but I came to care for him, and I came to admire him — his gifts, his talents, and most importantly his vision for the state of Florida. We are going to fight beside and behind the Gillum family in the battles ahead in rebuilding the government.”

The duo launched their campaign together just a stone’s throw away from Winter Park Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex. King told a crowd of Democratic voters the chance to join Gillum was an easy sell.

“Andrew Gillum is dynamic,” King said. “Andrew Gillum is the talent that our party has been waiting for. What I learned about Andrew Gillum is that he has no quit in him. They had counted him out from the beginning. They were plotting the demise of his campaign. He was told hundreds — probably thousands — of times, ‘You can’t win. You can’t lead this party. You can’t be the next governor of Florida.’ Andrew Gillum said, ‘I don’t believe that.’ Andrew believes in himself, and he will never stop believing in you.”

The November general election marks a critical turning point in the state’s future, King said. The two candidates look to make numerous changes to affordable housing, the environment and public education.

“What we both share — Andrew and I, from the bottom of my heart and his heart — is that this is a moment in the history of our state and the history of our nation where we must stand up and speak out and change the future of Florida,” King said. “This ticket is representative of our hopes and our dreams and our aspirations. That is the promise of Andrew Gillum.”