Rihanna Endorses Andrew Gillum For Florida Governor
With the 2018 midterm election fast approaching, Rihanna once again reminded her followers to vote, and this time, she zeroed in on one race in particular.
Rihanna announced her favorite in Florida gubernatorial contest, according to the Huffington Post. With that election being hotly contested, Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum can now bank on the support of the “Pon de Replay” singer, at least according to her latest Instagram post.
“You have the opportunity to make history this election. The US has only had four black Governors in its entire history, and we can help make [Andrew Gillum] the next one and Florida’s first!” Rihanna wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday, November 4. “If you’re tired of feeling like you don’t matter in the political process, know the most important thing you can do in supporting a candidate is finding someone who will take on critical issue.”
Riri then listed the issues that she wants lawmakers to prioritize. The nine-time Grammy Award winner noted some pressing issues in particular, including the minimum wage, teacher’s pay, healthcare, Stand-your-ground laws, and criminal justice reform. Rihanna announced her endorsement in the caption of a black and white photograph that shows a woman hoisting up a sign that reads, “Grab Em By The Midterms.”
The visual was clearly a backhanded slight at the current administration — a play on President Trump’s words in the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood recording that surfaced during the dying days of the 2016 presidential election.
Rihanna is by no means new to the political sphere. As was recollected in an article that was recently published by the Hill, she would follow up President Trump’s controversial travel ban of persons coming from selected Arabic, African, and South American countries by calling him an “immoral pig.” Rihanna has also been among the more visible celebrities to champion the Democratic Party over the years. Her affinity towards the Democratic Party was particularly prominent during Barack Obama’s eight years in office, with her being quoted by TMZ as stating during a 2014 visit to the White House that she was most proud because her “president is black.”
Rihanna has never held her tongue on issues that historically impact the black community. Her name recently made waves in the news cycle when it was reported by Variety that she would be passing up the chance to perform at the Super Bowl in protest of the NFL’s treatment of Colin Kaepernick.
In her call to action in backing Gillum, she underscored the need to elect a candidate who will restore the right of felons who have served their time to be able to legally participate in the democratic process. Florida remains only one of three states — with Iowa and Kentucky being the others — that still bans felons from voting, without exception.
