Miami-Dade Dems: No More Free Rides for Republican Legislators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Contact: Rachel Johnson, 305.771.2167
Email: [email protected]

TODAY AT 11 AM: Miami-Dade Dems: No More Free Rides for Republican Legislators

For the first time ever, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party is challenging every single Republican State House seat in Miami-Dade County.

"It is time that the Republicans get a clear message: No more free rides," said Miami-Dade Democratic Party chair Annette Taddeo-Goldstein. "After the catastrophic failure of Republican legislators to put Florida's people first this year, voters deserve a Democratic choice on the ballot. Many of these incumbents have never even faced a challenger before. Not any more."

Today, Tuesday, June 3rd, candidates will file to run in each of the seven State House districts currently without Democratic challengers.

Just last month, Florida's GOP-controlled state legislature closed yet another failed session without taking any action to tackle the defining problems facing Florida today: Medicaid expansion, raising the minimum wage, and adequately funding our public education system, to name a few. Because of their inaction, over one million Floridians will continue to suffer from lack of health insurance who would otherwise be covered under the federal expansion. Over 1.2 million Floridians must still struggle to make ends meet working for minimum wage, after Miami-Dade Republican state representative Carlos Trujillo — who chairs the House Economic Development & Tourism committee — refused to even hear debate on legislation to raise the wage. Meanwhile, Republicans continue to pander to corporate special interests.

Here are the candidates filing on Tuesday:

Mariano Corcilli (district 111, currently an open seat), an attorney, former criminal prosecutor, and veterans' advocate who served his country as a Sergeant in the United States Marines Corps;
Juan Cuba (district 116), Executive Director of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party and a former White House appointee and Obama field director responsible for organizing the ground game in Miami-Dade and surrounding counties;
Kristopher Decossard (district 115), a Miami native, proud FIU alum, and Army veteran raised by a single mother who plans to continue serving his country in public office;
Nelson Milian (running in district 110), a Cuban-American tech entrepreneur from Hialeah and founder of a youth summer camp focusing on the intersection of technology and the arts;
Carlos Pereira (district 105), a community organizer and president of the Venezuelan-American Democratic Club;
Omar Rivero (district 118), a Cornell graduate and digital entrepreneur who built an online organizing community of over 300,000 progressive political activists;
Milagro Ruiz (district 119), a Honduran-American schoolteacher of nearly 20 years, proud Miami-Dade College and St. Thomas University graduate.

"We know this will be an uphill battle, but it's a necessary one. We couldn't be more excited to offer voters of Miami-Dade a better choice than the status quo — and to hold the Republican incumbents accountable for their lack of leadership on issues important to their constituents," said Juan Cuba.

WHAT: Candidate filing and press conference

WHO: Miami-Dade Dems Chair Annette Taddeo-Goldstein, candidates running for office, and Senator Dwight Bullard

WHEN: Tuesday, June 3rd at 11 am

WHERE: Miami-Dade Democratic Party office in Little Havana, 2141 SW 1st Street, Suite 204, Miami 33135 (parking is available in the lot below the building, entrance off SW 21st Court)

RSVP: Email [email protected] to RSVP.

###

Do you like this post?