JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Mike Gravel officially endorsed the Reform Party’s candidates for governor and lieutenant governor on Thursday.

"I am pleased to put my full support behind Darcy Richardson and Nancy Argenziano on the Reform Party ticket in Florida," Gravel said. "Republican and Democratic elites have rejected the empowerment of regular citizens at every turn."

Mike Gravel served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1954, working in the Counterintelligence Corps during the Cold War and attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. During the 1960s he was elected to the Alaska legislature and later served two terms as a U.S. Senator from 1969 until 1981. A maverick, he is best known for his role in the release of the Pentagon Papers and for helping to end the military draft during the Vietnam War.

"I've admired Senator Gravel since the early 1970s and I'm deeply honored and humbled to have his support," said Reform Party gubernatorial candidate Darcy Richardson.

In 2008, Gravel left the Democratic Party and joined the Libertarian Party, highlighting his agreement with their stance on foreign policy and the failed drug war. More recently, he has dedicated his time to advancing the National Citizens Initiative for Democracy and continuing to advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana.

"During my own presidential campaign, I was repeatedly marginalized in both national debates and in media exposure by the Democratic leadership,” Gravel said of his experience.

“They worked in tandem with the corporate interests that control what we read and hear in the media. Both major parties have completely failed the people. Floridians deserve better, and thankfully they will have a better choice on the ballot this year.”

About Darcy Richardson

Darcy Richardson is the Reform Party of Florida's nominee for governor in the 2018 election. He is an author, historian, and former Democratic presidential candidate.

Additionally, Richardson has more than 15 years of experience working in the financial services industry. His early political experience included serving as the national campaign manager of Senator Eugene McCarthy's 1988 presidential bid.

About Nancy Argenziano

Nancy Argenziano was a fiercely independent voice in the Florida legislature for more than a decade, serving as a State Representative and a State Senator. A one-time Republican, she has become disgusted with the direction her former party has taken in recent years. In 2007, Senator Argenziano was appointed to a seat on the Florida Public Service Commission by Governor Charlie Crist. Two years later she was unanimously elected to Chair the PSC.

About the Reform Party

The Reform Party of Florida was initially created by Ross Perot during his 1996 presidential campaign. It was recently revived by a group of former Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians who are sick of the current climate of hyper-partisanship.