First-Generation American, Football Star, Climate-Conscious Business Owner & Two-Term Mayor to Visit South Carolina March 23rd
MIRAMAR — Today, first-generation American, national college football champion, successful climate-conscious business owner and South Florida Mayor Wayne Messam will launch a presidential exploratory committee and new website as he weighs a run for the White House in 2020.
This next step follows his landslide re-election on Tuesday (March 12) in which he received a resounding 86 percent of the vote from Miramar voters.
As the first black mayor of one of the fastest-growing city economies in the country, Wayne Messam is on the front lines of the progressive fights of our time.
From passing a living wage for city workers, to fighting to bring American jobs back from China, to leading the opposition to oil drilling in the Everglades, to passing ban the box, Wayne is a proven champion for change.
- See also: Florida Mayor for President
Next week, the Mayor will travel to South Carolina on Saturday, March 23 for his first trip as a potential candidate for President. Details forthcoming.
Statement from Mayor Wayne Messam
“The lack of urgency to plan for the future and take action on the crisis we can see coming is the biggest threat facing our nation. The gun violence epidemic continues to take far too many lives, climate change damages more homes and devastates more communities each year, skyrocketing healthcare costs cut off many Americans from the possibility of their American Dream, and crippling student loan debt leaves people of all ages with little hope for the future.
“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. 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. I do not believe that the best ideas come from Washington.
“Far too many of our friends and neighbors feel left behind and deserve someone in their corner who will fight for them. 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.”
Wayne Messam
Born in rural Pahokee, Florida and raised in South Bay, Mayor Wayne Messam learned the values of hard work and pride of community from a young age.
Wayne’s parents immigrated to South Florida from Jamaica with just a 5th-grade education seeking greater opportunity for their family.
His father labored in the sugar cane fields of the Florida Glades after coming to the United States, and his mother would cook to feed the migrant workers.
Wayne excelled in the classroom and on the field, earning a full football scholarship to Florida State University, where he started at wide receiver and was a member of the 1993 National Championship Team under legendary coach Bobby Bowden.
After college, Wayne built one of the fastest-growing, minority-owned construction businesses in the country. His projects in the educational and non-profit space have garnered national recognition, including from the U.S. Green Building Council for building one of the greenest schools in the Southeast United States.
Wayne went into public service, first as a city commissioner, then rising to serve as a two-term mayor of Miramar—one of Florida’s most diverse cities.
Today, Miramar ranks as one of the fastest-growing city economies in the country. The Mayor actively fosters innovation and development, from starting an aviation expo and tech camps to expose young people to the tools that can solve the problems of today and tomorrow, to personally helping minority-owned businesses succeed.
Wayne is proud of his record in Miramar as he:
- Championed a living wage for city workers.
- Recruited companies with high-paying jobs to hire Floridians.
- Fought to bring American jobs back from China.
- Led the fight against the oil industry’s campaign to drill in Big Cypress National Preserve, adjacent to the Everglades and just a few miles from Miramar.
- Joined mayors across the country to rebuke Trump’s climate denialism and pledge to support the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- Took on the Trump administration to protect immigrants, proposing his city as a safe zone for those who come to this country seeking a better life.
- Sued the state of Florida to protect his residents from gun violence and overturn a law backed by the NRA.
- Proposed and passed relief on water bills for federal employees who were impacted by the shutdown.
Wayne married his college sweetheart and business partner, Angela, more than 20 years ago as they have built their lives and raised their kids in Miramar.
Their three children, Wayne II, and twin daughters, Kayla and Kyla, attend college in South Florida.
