THE
GAZETTE VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 7 APRIL 7, 2022
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WILTON MANORS
SENATOR FARMER CONSIDERS CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN;
TALKS DESANTIS AND ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW By John McDonald “Ted provided exemplary service for the Florida Senator Gary Farmer neither confirmed nor denied he would be entering the little guy and little girl and that’s how I’ve race for the congressional seat held by retiring always viewed my role,” Farmer said. “We need to continue that type of representation in U.S. Representative Ted Deutch. “It’s a tremendous honor to be considered,” Congress.” Farmer, 57, said he will be carefully said Farmer in a Zoom interview with SFGN. “Yes, it is something I am considering and considering his next steps and expects to make a decision in the coming mulling over.” weeks. Florida’s congressional First elected to the Senate redistricting maps have yet to in 2016, Farmer represents “The Republican be finalized. Gov. Ron DeSantis eastern Broward County, Party, which is called a special session for April including Wilton Manors. A 19-22 to hammer out the details. Fort Lauderdale native and largely composed One way or another, Wilton attorney known for taking from an electoral Manors will be in his district, on the powerful insurance Farmer said. He praised the industry, Farmer said it was standpoint of Island City’s community spirit Deutch who inspired him to conservative white and reminisced how his great get into politics. uncle was a pioneering real “Ted Deutch is a longtime men, are scared estate agent with a house on friend of mine,” Farmer said. to death about Jenada Isles. “He was an inspiration to me losing power.” “Wilton Manors is such an early on and I sort of followed accepting, helpful and caring in his footsteps. He ran for city,” Farmer said. “I’m blown the Florida Senate in 2006 away by the sense of community with no prior legislative or Florida Senator representing … I wish we could bottle that up elective experience. I knocked Broward County and teach other communities on doors for him six different District 34 how to come together and live in weekends and he won against peaceful harmony.” more established party Farmer declined to publicly candidates.” Deutch is leaving Congress after 12 years state his choice for governor, but was adamant to become the chief executive officer of the about Democrats uniting behind the eventual American Jewish Committee. His district nominee. “We have several very good candidates,” covers parts of southern Palm Beach and northern Broward County. Farmer said Deutch’s Farmer said. “I think there is a scenario I believe retirement creates a “crater size opening in the that benefits Democrats statewide. Any one of the three — Charlie Crist, Nikki Fried, Annette state of Florida.”
- Gary Farmer
Florida Senator Gary Farmer. Courtesy of the office of Senator Gary Farmer.
Taddeo — would be a universal improvement over Ron DeSantis and his hateful, hurtful, harmful, homophobic agenda that he has been running and if he gets re-elected we’re gonna see this for another two years while he continues with these red-meat issues to gin up his base to get them to turn out and turn up the heat on that fear factor.” Fear, Farmer said, is what’s driving the DeSantis campaign. The now infamous “Don’t Say Gay” law is an example of the Republican Party’s efforts to ignite culture wars.
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“The Republican Party, which is largely composed from an electoral standpoint of conservative white men, are scared to death about losing power,” Farmer said. “They realize as society becomes more tolerant, more integrated — whether it be race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, whatever — fear goes away. Fear is largely based on ignorance, in my experience. As sexual orientation and gender identity become more commonplace, the fear goes away. It’s more understood.”
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