Rihanna endorses Andrew Gillum for Florida gov.: 'Let's #bringithome'

Weeks after launching a new beauty video series on YouTube, Rihanna is turning her attention to politics, urging her followers to vote for Andrew Gillum, a Democrat running for governor in Florida.

“You have the opportunity to make history this election,” she wrote. “The U.S. has only had four black Governors in its entire history, and we can help make #AndrewGillum the next one and Florida’s first!” The post appeared under a picture of a sign that reads “Grab Em By the Midterms,” a play on the notorious line “grab ’em by the pussy,” from President Trump.

Gillum, a Democrat, was raised in Miami by a mother who drove a school bus and a father who worked in construction. As the first college graduate in his family, he made history by becoming the youngest person elected to the Tallahassee City Commission, and then in 2014 became the city’s mayor. Gillum is running against U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has been criticized for using the word “monkey” during a Fox news interview while discussing the governor’s race.

On his website, Gillum says he is committed to “rebuilding a state that works for all.” It seems to be one of the reasons he’s earned Rihanna’s support. In her Instagram, the 30-year-old mentions the disillusionment that many are feeling with government, and suggests that candidates like Gillum may be what’s needed to turn the tide.

“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 issues such as: making minimum wage a livable wage, paying teachers what their worth, ensuring criminal justice reform, making healthcare a right, and repealing Stand Your Ground,” Rihanna writes. “That’s a platform we MUST support. Let’s #bringithome, Florida.”

Although her endorsement of the Florida candidate is strong, Rihanna isn’t the first big name to shine the spotlight on Gillum. The 39-year-old appeared on an episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah last week and received an official endorsement from former President Barack Obama last week. On Sunday, more celebrities started following in Rihanna’s wake, including rapper DJ Khaled.

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