Candidate for Fort Myers mayor explains his platform, felony history

A Fort Myers mayoral candidate with a felony record says he has big plans if elected. David Ruffin will face off against Mayor Kevin Anderson.

Ruffin has seven felonies but said he doesn’t want his past to define him.

From 1996 to 2018, Ruffin was arrested and got convicted of a handful of felonies. He was convicted of things like grand theft and possession of a controlled substance.

In the last four years, Ruffin said he has become a changed man and is ready to help others change too.

David Ruffin wants to be the next mayor of Fort Myers despite his criminal history.

“I done made mistakes in my life. That I, I took accountability for, I own it up to those mistakes,” said Ruffin.

Ruffin doesn’t run from his record, in fact, he posts about how he is not the same person as he was when he was arrested and convicted of those felonies.

“That don’t define the man that I am, the king that I am, the son of God that I am, and the one that will lead our city into the future,” said Ruffin.

He wants the good people of Fort Myers to put their trust in a man found guilty of grand theft, the illegal use of a credit card, fleeing from an officer, driving with a suspended license, burglary of a structure, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

He said he has goals for if he is elected. “My main thing is fixing this water problem, housing, and putting a stop to all this homelessness and Fort Myers,” said Ruffin.

Mayor Kevin Anderson talks about those issues too. He said he will not make an issue out of Ruffin’s past in his re-election campaign.

“I don’t anticipate doing that, but I am going to continue to put out to the public is looking at the representation you have had for these past two years. Are you happy with that? Do you want four more years of that type of representation?” said Anderson.

Ruffin doesn’t believe people are happy. “Make sure our senior citizens, the elderly, the youth are safe in their schools and home,” said Ruffin.

WINK News asked Ruffin how he planned to make those changes. “I’m gonna partner up with developers, contractors, local leaders, law enforcement, and all local law agencies,” Ruffin said.