TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Republican who is expected to run for governor is going to debate a Democratic candidate about immigration policy.
Tuesday night’s debate between Republican House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum was scheduled after the candidates had a testy exchange on Twitter over an ad Corcoran aired calling for an end to so-called “sanctuary cities.”
The House has passed a bill banning sanctuary city policies in Florida and creating penalties for local officials who don’t cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement.
Corcoran’s ad depicts a Hispanic-looking man in a hoodie shooting a white woman.
Another Democrat running for governor began running an ad Monday that’s also critical of Corcoran’s ad. Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine’s ad shows a clip of the Corcoran ad and calls it a message of hate.