Letter to Jose Javier Rodriguez Urging him to run for Congress
15 December 2020
Dear José Javier Rodríguez:
Anticipating the inauguration of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President fills us with relief and optimism. We can finally celebrate the positive changes competent leadership will bring to our beloved country. As Miami-Dade County residents, we want intelligent, compassionate, and consensus-oriented leadership in Congress to support Biden-Harris initiatives and restore our country’s image at home and around the world. We want someone who will champion the working class, strengthen small businesses, fight for affordable health care, fund public schools, support equality among all Americans, combat climate change, and promote democratic ideals in the U.S. and Cuba.
We saw how you fought for us in the Florida House of Representatives from 2012 to 2016 and in the Florida State Senate from 2016 to 2020. We were proud to see you combat climate change and champion affordable housing initiatives. Your commitment to constituent services, your relationship with the community, and your representation of inclusive American values made you a favorite native son. After all, you were raised in Miami, graduated from Brown University, served in the U.S. Peace Corps, graduated from Harvard Law School, and returned to Miami to work as attorney for employees needing help with labor unions and employee benefit funds. You’ve gone from José Javier Rodríguez to our beloved “JJR.”
And now we need you.
Florida’s 27th Congressional District is an important seat – politically, historically, and emotionally. It covers an area that is nearly 72% Hispanic – a majority of which consists of Cuban Americans. Diversity matters. Inclusion matters. Representation matters. We now have a Cuban American in this seat, but María Elvira Salazar does not represent our values. This must be remedied in 2022. While we would value any Democrat who espouses our own values in this seat, we want a highly qualified and admirable Cuban American Democrat such as yourself representing us. As the son of a Pedro Pan refugee who immigrated as an unaccompanied minor, you know well the trauma of the Cuban exile and would be sensitive to the Cuban American voter. More importantly, we – regardless of our ethnicity – want someone who knows us, someone who will fight for us, someone who is us to be in that seat.
JJR, we urge you to run for Congress and represent us in the United States House of Representatives. We need someone as intelligent, compassionate, and fair-minded as you in this seat so that Florida’s diversity can be well represented on the national stage. If you were to answer our call to run for Congress, you will have our unflagging support from the primaries to the general election when it comes to knocking on doors, registering voters, fundraising, and spreading the word about how you can represent our community and the entire country as our Congressman.
With gratitude for the work you have done and hope for the work you will do,
Horacio Sierra, President – Miami-Dade Cuban American Democratic Club
Lidia Moore, First Vice-President – Miami-Dade Cuban American Democratic Club
Agustín Bel, Second Vice-President – Miami-Dade Cuban American Democratic Club
Steve Portal, Secretary – Miami-Dade Cuban American Democratic Club
Juan Reyes, Treasurer – Miami-Dade Cuban American Democratic Club
Hector Caraballo – Former President of Miami-Dade Cuban American Democratic Club
Ibis Valdés, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant
Darien Borges, Guardian Ad Litem
Mike Rivero, Sales and Management
Alfred Soto, College Professor
Victor Otero, Writer/Producer
Pablo Pimienta, Government Affairs Administrator
Dallas Williams, Small Business Owner
Eduardo De La Vega, County Clerk
María Elena Lopez, Real Estate Broker
Jackie Kellogg, President – Key Biscayne Democrats Club
Cecilia Tavera-Webman, Realtor
María Elena Lopez, Realtor
Loraine Diaz, Elementary School Teacher
Leonardo Peralta, Business Consultant
Carmen Pelaéz, Playwright
Elijah Rothman, FIU College Student
Jonathan Smith, Environmental Law Attorney
William Harris, Realtor
Charles Walter, Digital Product Manager
Toni Rodriguez, Legislative Aide
Johnnie McDonald, Small Business Owner
Millie Herrera, Small Business Owner
Clinton Castro, College Professor
Molly Castro, Librarian
Janet Katz, Retired Educational Administrator
Ron Canizares, Businessman
Adrian Delgado, President – Miami-Dade Young Democrats
Richard Steinbook, Retired Doctor
Suzanne Steinbook, Retired Teacher
Lynn Hausmann, Retired Speech Language Pathologist
Kurt Wagner, Sales Executive
Renee C. Shafer, Realtor
Erin Clancy, Consultant
Marya Meyer, Manager
Carolyn Koslen, Digital Marketing Professional
Eileen Lapaz, Broward College Student
Shed Boren
Al Leon
Lois Leon
Diana Ordonez Sanchez, Realtor
Max Lavi, Engineer
Sofia Sanchez, Attorney
Dr. Amy Clement, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences
Kenny Broad, Anthropologist
Lucía Meyer-Wilson, Student
Carolina Garcia Jayaram, Executive Director of The Elevate Prize Foundation
Laura Quinlan, Concert Presenter
Conchita Espinoza Chediak, Small Business Owner
Nat Chediak, Film Programmer
Javier Baños, Certified Public Accountant
Ana Suarez, Teacher
Dennis Edwards, Retired
Mark Steinberg, Retired
Toby Rohrer, Property Manager
Theo Long, Executive Director of Biscayne Nature Center
Catalina Hart Hidalgo, Educator
Norman Aynbinder, CEO American Excursionist
Juan Talavera, Social Worker
Jeff Ronci, Writer
Gregory Boan, Attorney
Aimee Barat, Writer
Steven Priepke, Educator
Matthew Tisdol, Community Organizer
Jane Torres, Moms Demand Action Organizer
Suzanne Hurst, Retired