Gov race announcement; Iran war latest

Democratic candidate for Florida governor David Jolly announces his running mate, and President Donald Trump threatens more strikes on Iran.

Democratic candidate for Florida governor announces running mate

Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly selected a familiar name to join his ticket as lieutenant governor, former Rep. Gwen Graham.

She ran unsuccessfully in the 2018 Democratic primary for governor against then-Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. She also served in the Biden administration.

And notably, she’s also the daughter of former Florida Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham.

With this ticket, Jolly is hoping to turn the tide in Florida with a very familiar name in state politics.

It’s now been more than 30 years since Florida voters have elected a Democratic ticket for governor.

Jolly announced the pick Wednesday outside Florida’s historic capitol, alongside friends, family and supporters.

“I have one, one goal in this process: to identify a governing partner capable of leading this state, not just as lieutenant governor, but as governor,†Jolly said.

With that pick, the Jolly ticket now has about 10 weeks to go until the primary election. They’re largely considered frontrunners, with the campaign already focused on the general election.

“We believe this election will be a clear choice. Do you want a governor, a lieutenant governor who will listen to the voices of all Floridians? Or do you want a governor who just plays to the political extremes?†Graham said.

The Jolly and Graham duo is trying to strike a moderate chord among Florida voters.

The campaign is focusing on more unifying issues. Among them: affordability.

“He understands that everyday life is not the same for everyone, but we all have the same problem. Everything’s getting tougher,†Jolly Transition Chairman Sean Pittman said.

The announcement comes days after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings suspended his bid for governor, sharing with the public a cancer diagnosis.

“In order for me to receive the treatment that I need, I’m going to have to come off the campaign trail. I have to let something go,†Demings said.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds is the GOP front runner.

“This might have been an interesting ticket 10 years ago — same old failed politicians, same old failed liberal agenda, same losing result in November,†Donald Campaign Communications Director Gates McGavick said.

Jolly said that he considered six candidates for the job of lieutenant governor.

With that out of the way, the pair are now planning campaign stops across the state, with stops in Tampa and Orlando.

The United States launched airstrikes Wednesday against Iran, and President Donald Trump said more were coming, as Tehran fired back at countries in the region. The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations.

Trump’s warnings at the White House and on social media came hours after Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan — all of which host U.S. troops — came under Iranian fire. It was the second time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested a two-month ceasefire. On Monday, Iran and Israel targeted each other.

“We’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump told reporters at the White House hours after the U.S. said it struck Iranian military sites.

Shortly after Trump spoke, the U.S. military said it had fired on an oil tanker attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of its blockade on Iranian ports.

Trump wouldn’t say whether he planned to follow through on threats he made earlier in the war to attack bridges and utility plants in Iran. He urged Iran to sign a deal to end the war.

“We were really close to a deal but they keep tapping us along,” Trump said.

Trump’s comments underlined the American leader’s whipsaw approach to the war. He suggested on Monday that a deal to end the conflict could be reached in a matter of days.

Iran, meanwhile, has proved resilient despite having faced weeks of heavy bombing. It is betting that its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas — gives it a strong bargaining chip.

Still, both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflict — if they can manage to sell it as a win at home. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing much more difficult goals: the collapse of Iran’s theocratic government, the elimination of its nuclear program, and the destruction of the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. That will make compromise much harder.