Mayor Of Small Florida City Announces Democratic Presidential Bid

DES MOINES, IA - OCTOBER 08:  Stickers are made available to voters who cast a ballot in the midterm elections at the Polk County Election Office on October 8, 2018 in Des Moines, Iowa. Today was the first day of early voting in the state.  (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IA - OCTOBER 08: Stickers are made available to voters who cast a ballot in the midterm elections at the Polk County Election Office on October 8, 2018 in Des Moines, Iowa. Today was the first day of ear... DES MOINES, IA - OCTOBER 08: Stickers are made available to voters who cast a ballot in the midterm elections at the Polk County Election Office on October 8, 2018 in Des Moines, Iowa. Today was the first day of early voting in the state. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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MIRAMAR, Fla. (AP) — Unless you are a Florida State University football fan, chances are you have never heard of the newest Democratic candidate for president.

Wayne Messam, the mayor of Miramar, Florida, announced Thursday he is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. He says his story will resonate with voters in key states: He’s the son of Jamaican immigrants. His dad cut sugar cane near Lake Okeechobee. Messam played for the Seminoles in the 1990s and starred in the 1996 Orange Bowl.

Now 44, Messam owns a construction company and has served as the Fort Lauderdale suburb’s mayor for four years.

His positions are liberal. He wants universal health care, student loan forgiveness, infrastructure improvements, and to focus education toward a high-tech future. He would ban military-style rifles.

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