By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Friday, Mar. 15, 2019: A day after his re-election to the small 140,000 mostly black populated Florida town of Miramar, little known Jamaican American Mayor, Wayne Messam, stunned many with an announcement that he was launching an exploratory committee to consider a run as a Democratic contender for President of the United States.
So who is Wayne Messam and what exactly has he done to leap from small-town mayor to Presidential hopeful? Here are five things you should know about him:
1: Messam, 44, is the son of a Jamaican immigrant cane cutter and a mother who cooked and sold food to the cane cutters in South Bay, Florida.
2: The fourth of five children, Messam attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida and later earned a football scholarship to Florida State University. There, the 6’ 4” Messam played as a wide receiver for the Florida State Seminoles from 1993 through 1996 and was a member of the 1993 national championship team.
3: He has a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and started a construction company in 2007.
4: Messam was first elected to the City Commission of Miramar, Florida in 2011, where the median income is over $66,000 and there is a 10 percent poverty rate. He later ran for and was elected the city’s first black mayor in 2015, defeating incumbent Lori Cohen Moseley and former vice mayor Alexandra Davis with 38.5 percent of the votes. He was re-elected on March 12, 2019 with 86.05 percent of the votes. A day later, he announced his Presidential exploratory bid. “Washington is not working for the American people, and these big issues need fresh eyes and bold ideas from someone closer to the people, so our voice can be heard,” Messam was quoted as saying. “Together, we can fundamentally change our country for the better and tackle these challenges with actions that match the scale and urgency of this moment.” In his announcement, Messam said he would fight hard for a progressive agenda that includes tackling gun-control laws, climate change, healthcare costs and student loan debt.
“Far too many of our friends and neighbors feel left behind and deserve someone in their corner who will fight for them,” he said. “This moment requires leadership that will set us on a path to put the American Dream within reach for every single person in this country.”
But some like @snowflake33470 was not buying it, tweeting: “Why? I guarantee nobody in America is sitting at home wishing Florida would jump into the race. Nobody. I don’t live that far away & don’t even know who you are. Focus on taking Rubio’s seat or something more useful PLZ, don’t waste everyone’s time & money on a doomed mess ?.”
5: Messam is married to Angela Messam and is the father of three children.
