2018 Florida Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Andrew Gillum: Decision should be made by women & their doctors.     Ron DeSantis: Ban abortions after fetal heartbeat detected.     Andrew Gillum: Defunding Planned Parenthood jeopardizes women's health.     Philip Levine: Women have the right to be pro-choice, government keep out.

Budget & Economy     Philip Levine: An economy that works for all Floridians.     Andrew Gillum: Stimulus better than market-led recovery.     Adam Putnam: Don't make Florida into California & their debt.

Civil Rights     Ron DeSantis: Backs bill impeding voting by ex-felons.     Philip Levine: History of being a fierce champion for LGBTQ rights.     Andrew Gillum: Oppose discrimination based on gender identity.     Andrew Gillum: Supports same-sex marriage.     Andrew Gillum: Staunch supporter of LGBT rights.     Andrew Gillum: Take down Confederate monuments.

Corporations     Andrew Gillum: Trump tax cuts gave billions to our richest corporations.     Philip Levine: Stop special interest tax breaks in Tallahassee.     Andrew Gillum: Raise corporate taxes from 5.5% to 7.75%.     Andrew Gillum: 90% of businesses pay no corporate income tax, & too little.     Adam Putnam: Cut regulations & taxes for farms & businesses.     Andrew Gillum: Corporate tax cuts can create jobs, support training.

Crime     Philip Levine: Top-down & bottom-up audit of the Department of Corrections.     Ron DeSantis: Don't restore voting rights to former felons.     Andrew Gillum: Stricter punishment doesn't reduce crime.     Andrew Gillum: Ban the box: re-entry of returning citizens into job market.     Andrew Gillum: Restorative justice programs to reduce teen recidivism.

Drugs     Andrew Gillum: legalize marijuana, and tax it.     Ron DeSantis: No recreational marijuana; let voters decide medical usage.     Philip Levine: Combat the opioid epidemic by expanding Medicaid.     Andrew Gillum: Marijuana isn't a gateway drug.     Andrew Gillum: Focus on opioid epidemic as medical issue.     Adam Putnam: Opposes marijuana legalization as a gateway drug.

Education     Andrew Gillum: $1 billion Fair Share investment in public schools.     Andrew Gillum: Make college debt-free for nurses & teachers.     Philip Levine: Invest in public schools; stop funds to private/charters.     Ron DeSantis: Expand both charters & vouchers.     Ron DeSantis: Fund training for high schoolers who enter workforce.     Andrew Gillum: $1B on education: set minimum teacher salary at $50,000.     Ron DeSantis: Expand voucher and charters; stop Common Core.     Andrew Gillum: End punitive high-stakes testing regime.     Andrew Gillum: Debt-free college in exchange for 4 years' work in Florida.     Philip Levine: Replace high-stakes testing with more comprehensive scoring.     Andrew Gillum: Opposes vouchers for school choice.     Adam Putnam: More emphasis on technical training, not college.     Adam Putnam: Parental control of education, not state or federal.     Adam Putnam: Urges veto of school choice bill.

Energy & Oil     Andrew Gillum: Withdrawal from Paris Climate accord is reckless.     Philip Levine: Against offshore drilling; invest instead in solar energy.     Philip Levine: Effectively tackled challenges of climate change in Miami.     Ron DeSantis: No carbon tax; no wind energy subsidy.     Philip Levine: $24M project to mitigate sea-rise in Miami Beach.     Andrew Gillum: Make Florida world leader in rooftop solar energy production.     Andrew Gillum: Transition Florida to clean energy as rapidly as possible.     Andrew Gillum: Climate change is a real; transition to clean energy.     Adam Putnam: Florida positioned to be˙oil˙hub˙for energy independence.

Environment     Andrew Gillum: Redirect freshwater flow, with pollution standards.     Ron DeSantis: Deal with Red Tide: clean the water; build a reservoir.     Ron DeSantis: Stop Lake Okeechobee discharges that caused algae crisis.     Andrew Gillum: Properly fund Florida Forever and Everglades restorations.     Andrew Gillum: EPA has critical role in protecting us from toxic pollution.     Andrew Gillum: EPA protects our families from corporate toxic pollution.     Adam Putnam: Unravel the EPA mess; it kills jobs & increases costs.

Families & Children     Andrew Gillum: Invited same-sex couples to get married in Tallahassee.     Ron DeSantis: Protect faith-based noncooperation with gay marriage.

Foreign Policy     Andrew Gillum: Support American Exceptionalism.

Free Trade     Andrew Gillum: Trump's tariffs threaten Florida's workers, farmers.     Ron DeSantis: Trump's tariffs will get concessions from China.     Andrew Gillum: Support free trade with restrictions.

Government Reform     Andrew Gillum: Campaign funded by many small donors plus two billionaires.     Andrew Gillum: Make voter registration easier.     Andrew Gillum: Limit corporate money in campaigns.

Gun Control     Andrew Gillum: Universal background checks & assault weapon ban.     Andrew Gillum: Voting rights to former felons: they deserve a second chance.     Philip Levine: We need gun control reform with a common sense approach.     Ron DeSantis: Concealed carry statewide; open-carry on campuses.     Andrew Gillum: Prohibit bump stocks and assault weapons.     Ron DeSantis: Allow carrying guns openly and on college campuses.     Andrew Gillum: No right to guns for domestic abusers or mentally ill.     Rick Scott: 21-year-old age requirement & 3-day wait on gun purchases.     Andrew Gillum: Favors strong gun laws.     Adam Putnam: Expanded concealed weapon licenses program; largest in US.     Andrew Gillum: Operation Safe Neighborhood: community crime watch.

Health Care     Andrew Gillum: Expand Medicaid in Florida; work toward Medicare-for-All.     Philip Levine: Expand Medicaid; give healthcare access to everyone.     Ron DeSantis: Repeal ObamaCare; health care isn't a right.     Andrew Gillum: Medicare-for-All, paid $1B restoration of corporate tax cuts.     Andrew Gillum: Medicare for all: universal health care is a right.     Ron DeSantis: No right to health care; that's just a bureaucratic right.     Andrew Gillum: Extend Medicaid to one million Floridians.     Andrew Gillum: Expand ObamaCare; Medicare for Al.     Andrew Gillum: Healthcare should be a fundamental right.     Gwen Graham: Apply ObamaCare to full-time workers, not 30 hours per week.

Homeland Security     Philip Levine: Military veterans should receive the benefits they deserve.     Andrew Gillum: Opposes expanding the military.     Adam Putnam: Use conservation money to protect military bases.     Adam Putnam: Make Florida the most military friendly & vet friendly state.

Immigration     Andrew Gillum: DACA is unconstitutional; opposes any path to citizenship.     Philip Levine: Fully supports a pathway to citizenship for immigrants.     Ron DeSantis: DACA is unconstitutional; opposes any path to citizenship.     Andrew Gillum: Protect borders without criminalizing undocumented people.     Ron DeSantis: Supports E-Verify; opposes sanctuary cities.     Andrew Gillum: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.     Andrew Gillum: Protect Dreamers from end of DACA.     Adam Putnam: Opposed anti-immigrant laws that might affect workers.     Adam Putnam: Muslim ban is offensive to American values.

Jobs     Andrew Gillum: Supports state $15 minimum wage.     Philip Levine: For raising minimum wage; let local communities decide rate.     Andrew Gillum: Legally require hiring more women & minorities.

Principles & Values     Andrew Gillum: Keep God in the public sphere.     Andrew Gillum: Religious-political dialogue good.     Andrew Gillum: Served a decade on City Commission and as Tallahassee mayor.

Social Security     Andrew Gillum: Fight any attempt to privatize Social Security.

Tax Reform     Ron DeSantis: Keep Florida a low-tax state; super-majority to raise taxes.     Philip Levine: Level the playing field; rich will pay their fair share.     Andrew Gillum: Economy should works for all, not just those at the top.     Adam Putnam: Opposes a "kayak tax" on non-motorized boats.

Technology     Andrew Gillum: Net neutrality protected FL communities & residents.     Philip Levine: Infrastructure must be modernized to meet 21st century needs.     Ron DeSantis: FCC requirement for net neutrality was a massive power grab.     Andrew Gillum: Greater emphasis on light rail and mass transit.     Andrew Gillum: Digital Harmony Project: computers & internet for schoolkids.     Adam Putnam: Get Fed money for infrastructure for roads.

War & Peace     Andrew Gillum: America should be world's human rights champion.

Welfare & Poverty     Andrew Gillum: Address income inequality; remake an innovation economy.     Andrew Gillum: Public/private program gets youth on right track.     Adam Putnam: Weeding out fraudulent charities.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Adam Putnam Florida Republican candidate for Florida Governor Andrew Gillum Florida Democratic candidate for governor of Florida Gwen Graham Florida Democratic candidate for Governor Philip Levine Florida Democratic candidate for governor of Florida Rick Scott Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis Florida Republican candidate for governor