Christopher King, a 38-year-old housing investor from the Orlando area, is exploring a run for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2018 and sounds more likely to run than not. The President and CEO of Winter Park-based Elevation Financial Group has been interviewing with potential campaign staffers and we hear has all but lined up several top tier consultants, including Obama alums Larry Grisolano of AKPD Message and Media and Jeremy Bird of 270 Strategies.

8 Months Ago

8 Months Ago

8 Months Ago

"We have to make a decision in the next 30 to 60 days," said King, whose father, David King, was the lead attorney for the Fair Districts redistricting reform coalition in 2014.

King specializes in affordable housing and said what drew him initially into exploring a run was state leaders steadily depleting the state's affordable housing trust fund. That, combined with watching the redistricting process and state leaders balk at expanding access to health insurance for hunndreds of thousands of Floridians, fired him up.

He has never run for office before and faces the prospect of taking on experienced politicians including mayors Bob Buckhorn of Tampa, Andrew Gillum of Tallahassee and Philip Levine of Miami Beach, as well as former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham of Tallahassee and personal injury lawyer John Morgan. King said he would bring a businessman's perspective to the debate about best to grow jobs and opportunity in Florida.

Hat tip to Scott Powers

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