By Nancy Lawther, Ph.D., DEC Legislative Liaison Chair

COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL:

“Alligator Alcatraz”: Citing an executive order signed in 2023, the administration of Governor DeSantis abruptly seized control of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport and hastily transformed it into a migrant detention center for up to 3000 detainees. The facility is being used to showcase the Governor’s support for the Trump Administration’s plans to deport massive numbers of immigrants. It was built over the immediate and vociferous objections of Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Native American community leaders, and numerous environmental and human rights organizations concerned about damage to environmentally sensitive Everglades lands and mistreatment of detainees.

At 93½ years old, Ann Bregman Rascoe proves that it’s never too late to act for democracy. A new but already invaluable volunteer with the Miami-Dade Dems, Ann, joined our phone bank because she deeply cares about helping Democrats vote.

“I’ve always felt I need to be doing whatever I can to help elect the candidates I prefer,” she says. 

Ann has mastered the art of the automated dialer and does all her calls from her cell phone! In just two phone banks with the DEC, she has conducted nearly 60 meaningful conversations with our Miami-Dade voters, making her one of our most productive volunteers.

Michael Joseph, Esq.— First Elected Black and Haitian-American Mayor of North Miami Beach

History has shown us that although each generation has its own challenges, it also has its own purpose. Today, as Americans, as a beautifully diverse community, and as a people who believe in justice and equality, we are living in a time where our democracy is being tested — but it is not broken. In fact, it is growing stronger through the active participation and resilience of each one of us.

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Madeleine Shirley,  the Chair of the Voter Registration Committee for the DEC, has dedicated 10+ years to volunteering for various organizations throughout Florida to register voters and protect their right to cast a ballot. This year alone, she has spearheaded over 50 voter registration drives on behalf of the DEC, assisted with similar efforts by the Coral Gables Dems, and cheered on other groups like the Democratic Senior Caucus and the Miami Gardens Dems, equally committed to registering voters. The effort is particularly timely, since Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia purged the active voter rolls of more than 100,000 Democrats in May.

Build! Fight! Win!

By Laura Kelley, Esq., Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair

“Let’s unite to focus on our primary objective: winning blue votes, flipping red seats, and electing those who will truly serve the families and communities of Miami-Dade County.”

I am a lifelong Democrat who has lived and voted in Doral for more than a decade. Still, it was not until I ran for office last year that I learned that the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) serves as the official body representing the Democratic Party in Miami-Dade County. That means that its officers and members commit themselves to registering, turning out, and protecting the rights of Democratic voters; recruiting, evaluating, and supporting qualified Democratic candidates; and speaking out on local, state, and federal issues in alignment with Democratic values.

On Tuesday evening (6/10/2025), the Northeast Miami-Dade Democrats welcomed José Javier Rodríguez to the Miami Shores Community Church, where he laid out a bold and urgent vision for the role of Florida’s Attorney General. Rodríguez, a former state legislator and Biden administration official, is now a 2026 candidate for Florida Attorney General. He addressed a room full of energized Democrats eager for a change in leadership that prioritizes public safety, economic justice, and integrity in government.

On Saturday, May 31, 2025, nearly 500 community members gathered at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Miami Gardens for The People’s Meetup, a community-powered town hall hosted by Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones. Framed around "The State of Black America," the event offered a space for real talk, spiritual grounding, and collective organizing.