Wayne Messam, The Florida Mayor Running for President

“And some talk is floating around right now about merit-based immigration. Individuals like my parents would have been at the bottom, the end of the line, and would perhaps never have had an opportunity, and yet they helped build the agriculture sector.”

Wayne Messam has served as the Mayor of Miramar, Florida since 2015, and in March he announced his presidential run as a Democrat. Prior to being elected mayor of Florida’s 13th largest city, Mr. Messam served on Miramar’s city commission and owned a construction company. (He also played college football at Florida State.) His campaign has prioritized issues including student debt, firearms, and immigration, the last of which has been uniquely informed by his parents being immigrants to the United States from Jamaica. He joins Merion West’s editor Erich Prince to discuss these topics, as well as to explain how his background and experiences are informing his presidential bid.

Mayor, thanks for joining us. I know that gun issues have been a major part of your campaign. Post-Virginia Beach shooting, how has that event either renewed or further affirmed your commitment to addressing gun issues?

It’s a priority. You know it’s struck close to home here in the city of Miramar. Parkland is just 15 minutes north of us. In fact, our police chief actually sent officers to help up there. And currently right now, I’m in litigation with one of the lead mayors to sue the state of Florida because there are very punitive penalties if local governments pass any local ordinance or law regulating ammunition or firearms. The governor can remove us from office, personally fine us $5,000. And it’s just basically ridiculous—the fact that if we want to decide to ban assault-style weapons in our parks where kids play—that the governor can remove us from office. And it’s just ridiculous.

And we’ve seen even this week on Capitol Hill various measures coming from congressional Democrats looking at this issue of suing gun manufacturers.