As the primary election for Florida’s governor approaches, Democratic candidates are getting in their final words. The three candidates – Daryl Jones, Bill McBride and Janet Reno – have taken a similar stance on issues they want to address in the state education system.

Today, Jones will be the first candidate this semester to come to USF and address his issues to students, days before the Sept. 10 election for a primary candidate. In recent debates, the Democratic candidates have criticized Gov. Jeb Bush’s policies in hopes of winning the position in November.

Jones states on his Web site that the reputations of Florida’s universities need to be improved by increasing revenue in the education system and increasing teachers’ salaries.

Along with fellow gubernatorial candidates Reno and McBride, Jones supports the constitutional amendment to decrease class sizes, which would call for a tax increase.

Junior Dave Cutler, a member of USF’s College Democrats, said college students should take note of Jones’s proposal to improve Florida.

“Students should be interested in the election because it is the future of our state,” said Cutler. “Tuition is (increasing), and classes are becoming less and less available, and we need to know who’s going to fix that. Education issues don’t just cover kindergarten to 12th grade; they cover higher education as well. We need to know who’s going to be the best for our education.”

If elected governor, Jones would be the first black candidate in Florida’s history to win the state’s highest executive office. But Jones is currently ranked third behind his competitors in the race for the democratic nomination.

“This election is the most pivotal, possibly in Florida’s history,” Cutler said. “We need a governor who is going to be a governor for everyone, not just the rich and powerful, as Gov. Bush has been.”

Jones has represented the state of Florida’s District 40 since 1992.

He graduated with honors from the University of Miami’s School of Law and is currently practicing law in the office of Adorno & Zeder. Jones also reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and currently serves as a Presidential Appointee for the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors.

Jones has been recognized by various organizations for his community service, including Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, which has an active branch on USF’s campus. He is also a member of The Honorary Board for Homestead Hospital Indigent Care Foundation, The Orange Bowl Committee and The Florida Martin Luther King Jr. Institute for Nonviolence advisory board.

Jones will speak on the topic of “Building a Better Florida” at 7 p.m. in the University Lecture Hall.