Scott And Gillum Put Politics Aside In Tallahassee Shooting

Gillum Florida
Florida Andrew Gillum holds his son Jackson as he addresses his supporters after winning the Democrat primary for governor on Tuesday, August 28, 2018, in Tallahassee, Fla.(AP Photo/Steve Cannon)

 

Tallahassee (AP) – The final stretch of the campaign was briefly disrupted by the shooting Friday evening at a Tallahassee yoga studio.

Scott, the Republican governor seeking a Senate seat, and Gillum, the Tallahassee Democratic mayor running for governor, rushed back to the state capital after a gunman killed two people and injured five others before killing himself.

Shortly before midnight, Gillum and Scott met with victims who had been taken to a hospital near the shopping center where the shooting took place. Gillum, who has clashed with Scott in the past, thanked the governor for his “care and consideration” by visiting the victims.

Both Gillum and Scott planned to return to campaigning on Saturday with stops in Central Florida. Scott was expected to be with Trump when he holds a rally later in the day in Pensacola, while Gillum was to attend a get out the vote concert with Jimmy Buffett being held in West Palm Beach.

All day Saturday all the key candidates will be back on the stump Saturday with Vice President Mike Pence meeting up with President Trump in Florida to rally Republicans behind Rick Scott, who is trying to unseat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, and former Rep. Ron DeSantis, who hopes to succeed Scott as governor.

DeSantis has been in a tight contest against Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who broke off campaigning after the shooting in his hometown. Gillum had appeared earlier Friday with former President Barack Obama.

Democrats were fanning out across the country to help the party stoke turnout in their effort to capture seats in Congress and win several races for governor. Former Vice President Joe Biden was campaigning in Ohio with former Obama administration official Richard Cordray, who is attempting to become governor in a high-profile contest.