Richie Floyd: Socialist City Council Candidate in Florida, Brazilian Reality TV Star Lookalike

Interview with
Richie Floyd

Richie Floyd is a teacher and Democratic Socialists of America member running for city council in St Petersburg, Florida. He also became famous this week in Brazil for his uncanny resemblance to a Brazilian reality TV star. We talked to him about both.

Richie Floyd is running for city council in St Petersburg, Florida. (@richiejfloyd / Twitter)

After organizing for legislative victories in Florida, the growth of Pinellas County Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and within the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA), Richie Floyd is running for city council in St Petersburg. While the campaign is preparing for the primary election on August 24, Floyd unexpectedly attained internet celebrity status — not in Florida or anywhere else in the United States, but in Brazil, after a viral tweet compared him to Brazil Big Brother fan favorite Gil Da Vigor. Peter Lucas sat down with Floyd to discuss running for office as a socialist and as a reality TV star lookalike.

Peter Lucas

Okay, I want to talk to you about your city council campaign. But first I have to ask you: You went from Florida public school teacher to Brazilian celebrity overnight. How did this happen?

Richie Floyd

Yesterday a local outlet shared an article about me winning the endorsement of the West Central Florida AFL-CIO. I’m a union member in the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, so naturally, I was proud to share the endorsement. It was retweeted by a few people, and late last night it was retweeted by a couple of people in Brazil because someone noticed I bore a resemblance to Gil Da Vigor, a famous Brazilian actor who was on Brazil’s Big Brother. We have a similar haircut and facial hair, similar complexion. But what really made the comparison uncanny is that my campaign headshot is in a salmon colored shirt similar to the one Gil is famous for wearing.

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