Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's Mother, Qualifies to Run for Public Office

Sybrina Fulton announced that she’s officially qualified to appear on the ballot for Miami Dade County Commissioner, running on a platform that focuses on equity across transportation, housing and economic opportunity.

Fulton first announced her intention to run last year. Since then, she’s notched several high profile endorsements, including Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Hillary Clinton, who in May participated in a virtual fundraiser moderated by Ruth’s List Florida.

Fulton, whose son Trayvon Martin was killed in 2012 by George Zimmerman, has spent the last several years traveling the U.S. to speak out against racial profiling and gun violence. Regarding the outrage exhibited across the country over the systemic violence toward black Americans, Fulton told the Guardian on Monday, “I think people have had enough,” adding that the current protests have been more diverse than those in the past:

“I see people of all colors that are there, and that are standing with African Americans,” Fulton said. “They really saw what happened. They’re compassionate, and they feel the pain that we have been feeling for so many years.”

Fulton does, however, think that focus should be on reforming police departments, rather than defunding them:

“I don’t agree with that,” Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother, said of the “defund the police” slogan. “I think we need more police. We need police with better standards, and police with better ethics and better work habits.”

Fulton is running for county commissioner in Florida. “I want residents to feel safe,” she said. “I want to bridge the gap between the law enforcement and the community.”

Fulton is up against Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert III for the District 1 seat. While she trails behind Gilbert in fundraising, she wouldn’t be the first mother who lost a child to gun violence to win a campaign: Lucy McBath, whose son, Jordan Davis, was murdered in 2012, was elected to Congress in 2018.