Local transit workers union endorses candidates in local, state, federal races
AFSCME and AFL-CIO also provide their slates for Aug. 23 primary
The largest union in Miami-Dade, representing more than 2,100 transportation workers — Metrorail, MetroMover and MetroBus operators and support staff — announced Tuesday a bunch of local, state and federal endorsements for the Aug. 23 primary election.
Transport Workers Union Local 291 President Jeffrey Mitchell said the current housing and transportation crises we are facing make it especially vital to support candidates “who stand up for working families in Miami-Dade and who will protect their right to life, safety and equitable pay.
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“As the backbone of our local economy, we need representatives who will address the issues that are most impacting their quality of life and who will fight to create a community where they can live and thrive with dignity.”
The following is the complete list of endorsements, in alphabetical order:
- Maribel Balbin in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 4
- Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 2
- Chris Benjamin in Florida State House, District 107
- JC Bermudez in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 12
- Danielle Cohen Higgins in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 8
- Karyn Cunningham for mayor in the Village of Pinecrest
- AJ D’Amico in Florida State House, District 113
- Val Demings in the U.S. Senate
- Juan Fernandez Barquin in Florida State House, District 118
- Dotie Joseph in Florida State House, District 108
- Jordan Leonard in Florida State House, District 106
- Janelle Perez in Florida State Senate, District 38
- Dr. Marta Perez in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 8
- Anthony Rodriguez in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 10
- Maria Teresa Rojas in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 6
- Annette Taddeo for U.S. Congress
- Frederica Wilson for U.S. Congress
There were no endorsements in the county commission races in Districts 2 and 6 because those races will very likely be decided in runoffs in November, Mitchell said.
Martha Bueno, who is running to replace termed-out Javier Souto in District 10, said they never contacted her before endorsing Rodriguez. But Mitchell said she declined the screening by the AFL-CIO. These are their South Florida nods.
“We invited her to the process. She didn’t respond. So we decided to move on,” Mitchell said.
AFSCME has also made it’s recommendations:
| Sheila Cherfilus | U.S. House of Representatives | 20 |
| Lois Frankel | U.S. House of Representatives | 21 |
| Debbie Wasserman Shultz | U.S. House of Representatives | 23 |
| Frederica Wilson | U.S. House of Representatives | 24 |
| Annette Taddeo | U.S. House of Representatives | 27 |
| Robert Asencio | U.S. House of Representatives | 28 |
| Sen. Tina Polsky | State Senate | 30 |
| Sen. Shevrin Jones | State Senate | 34 |
| Sen. Lauren Book | State Senate | 35 |
| Sen. Jason Pizzo | State Senate | 37 |
| Janelle Perez | State Senate | 38 |
| Rep. Bryan Avila | State Senate | 39 |
| Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez | State Senate | 40 |
| Clay Miller | State Representatives | 101 |
| Jim Leonoard | State Representatives | 106 |
| Andres Althabe | State Representatives | 113 |
| Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall | Miami-Dade School Board | 2 |
| Maribel Balbin | Miami-Dade School Board | 4 |
| Maria Teresa “Mari Tere” Rojas | Miami-Dade School Board | 6 |
| Marta Perez | Miami-Dade School Board | 8 |
| Micky Steinberg | Miami-Dade Commission | 4 |
| Kevin Cabrera | Miami-Dade Commission | 6 |
| Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins | Miami-Dade Commission | 8 |
| Rep. Anthony Rodriguez | Miami-Dade Commission | 10 |
| Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez | Miami-Dade Commission | 12 |
| Commissioner Mark David Bogen | Broward Commission | 2 |
| Commissioner Lamar Fisher | Broward Commission | 4 |
| Commissioner Beam Furr | Broward Commission | 6 |
| Robert McKenzie | Broward Commission | 8 |
| Hazelle Rogers | Broward Commission | 9 |
| Judge Lody Jean | Circuit Judge | 3 |
| Judge Robert Watson | Circuit Judge | 20 |
| Judge Mark Blumstein | Circuit Judge | 34 |
| Judge Oscar Rodriguez – Fonts | Circuit Judge | 52 |
| Judge Fred Seraphin | Miami-Dade County Judge | 5 |
| Judge Jeffrey Kolokoff | Miami-Dade County Judge | 19 |
| Judge Scott Janowitz | Miami-Dade County Judge | 42 |
Read related: Miami-Dade: $9 mil no-bid contract for private transit provider hops around
Some of those candidates have received contributions from Limousines of South Florida (LSF), a private transportation provider that has come under fire for substandard service, and getting no-bid contracts with the county to provide transit services, slowly privatizing county buses.. They also provide trolley and other shuttle service in most municipalities.
LSF owners Raymond and Rene Gonzalez, who have dozens of Florida corporations and bundle their donations, have given about $700,000 in total to county, school board and city of Miami and city of Coral Gables candidates in the last 11 years.
“It’s hard to find any [candidate] who hasn’t,” Mitchell said, “but they know we’re not fans of LSF. We will first try to work with them, try to conduct a cleansing.” It’s no secret that the TWU wants the routes driven by LSF back in county employee command.
“It’s our goal to rid the county of pay-to-play transit. At this point, it’s now the very same tax dollars flowing back by donation,” Mitchell told Ladra. “If you don’t engage them, question them and task them, they will do bad things.”