Florida Democrats Want Dwyane Wade, Grant Hill To Run For senate

Since Sen. Rick Scott has decided to run in 2024, NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Grant Hill have rocketed to the top of recruitment lists for some Florida Democrats, according to nbcnews.com.

According to sources familiar with the situation, there have been separate active efforts for both Hill and Wade to consider a career in Florida state politics, which haven’t been led by either the state or national parties.

The party donors, according to nbcnews.com, see a necessity in a “moonshot-type candidate to reverse the trend of Republican dominance in the state, which most recently Gov. Ron DeSantis won re-election by a double-digit margin. Still, they know getting either one of them is a long shot.

“Grant Hill has great name ID. He would raise a boatload of money and is one of the smartest guys you will ever meet,” said John Morgan to NBC news, an Orlando-based trial attorney and national Democratic donor, who has spoken directly with Hill about his desire for him to run. “Grant Hill would beat the s--- out of Rick Scott.”

At this point, it is more likely that a traditional candidate — such as former or current members of Congress as well as the state Legislature — ends up as the Democratic nominee against Scott — an incumbent and former two-term governor with the ability to self-finance.

Some folks, however, think that getting those kinds of candidates can help reset the political market.

“That’s what Larry and I talked about — Grant Hill,” Morgan said. “I’m not sure it’s his time, but he would be great. He’s competitive. I think he sees LeBron James as a billionaire and Magic Johnson almost a billionaire, and it gets his competitive juices flowing. I am not sure he is done with business.”

Hill played seven seasons with the Orlando Magic and also lives in the Orlando area, but he hasn’t been publicly political on a regular basis. He did campaign with Hillary Clinton in Jacksonville in 2016, while also criticizing former President Donald Trump over his comments he made in 2019 pertaining to Baltimore.

As for Wade, Democratic donor groups have discussed the idea of recruiting the Hall of Famer, who played 13 campaigns while winning two championships with the Miami Heat. Wade has been outspoken and advocating for transgender rights. His 15-year-old, Zaya, is a transgender model and activist.

And Wade’s support of Zaya comes amid a time in which Republicans have filed legislation against the community.

“My family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there,” Wade said on Showtime’s “Headliners with Rachel Nichols” last month. “And so that’s one of the reasons why I do not live there.”

Democratic representatives familiar with Wade want him to run.

“Dwyane Wade is a Florida legend, whose leadership past and present has a lot of folks in our state sending feelers out,” said Ray Paultre, the executive director of the Florida Alliance, a progressive donor group that plays a significant role in Florida Democratic politics. “We have seen former athletes, in both parties, bring something special to the political landscape. He hasn’t been officially approached, but he is on the list of four or five dream candidates to challenge Rick Scott."

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