New Candidate Alert In Florida-- Ileana Finally Has A Real Opponent

Florida's 27th congressional district is a majority Hispanic district (almost 75%)-- in fact, of all the congressional districts with a GOP congressmember, the 27th is the one with the highest percentage of Hispanics anywhere in the country. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has been the Representative for decades-- since 1989-- ever since she drew her own district lines when she was a state senator. The district has changed demographically and it's no longer the red hellhole she meant it to be. In 2008, Obama won against McCain with 51% and in 2012 he beat Romney with 53%. The district stretches from just north of the Airport in Hialeah Estates and Miami Springs, and encompasses all of Little Havana, West Miami, Coral Gables, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.

Demographically, the district gets bluer by the day and would be a natural takeover target for the Democrats except for one problemo-- well, 2 actually: Debbie WassermanSchultz and Steve Israel who have adamantly protected their conservative Republican crony Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, usually by sabotaging plausible Democratic challengers early in the process and guaranteeing that Ros-Lehtinen never has a serious election. This year, this could all change. The DCCC will never change until Pelosi and Hoyer are gone, but progressives in Miami-Dade aren't waiting. They have a Berniecrat running now, Adam Sackrin, a 27 year old native-born Miami attorney. I asked him to introduce himself to DWT readers:

A New Day Is Dawning In South Florida
-by Adam Sackrin,
Democratic candidate, FL-27

I am a two-time Obama voter, and now-- as a result of the ominous state of American political discourse-- a progressive candidate for the Democratic Party nomination in Florida’s 27th congressional district. There is a daunting road ahead, I am a political newcomer and we are admittedly late to the game; but, this election cycle is unique. If there were ever an election for a relative unknown to come from out of nowhere and deny the longest-serving Republican woman in Congress a 15th consecutive term, it is right now. Howie has discussed FL-27 at length since 2006... here are some of his relevant posts.

Voters aligned with all political parties can agree that there are countless legitimate issues facing our country that need real, smart solutions. The representative democracy upon which our nation was founded, in Article I of the United States Constitution, provides for a bicameral legislature, representative of the states and of the people, through which the issues and needs of this country are to be addressed and resolved. When that “democratic” body is no longer representative of the people, but is actually representative of the corporations and special interests contributing enormously to their campaigns instead (mostly to re-elect incumbents who favor or have favored those interests), those issues and needs cannot be addressed and resolved properly. What results is what we see far too often portrayed on TV and in mainstream media: gridlock, obstruction, defiance, and “business as usual.” Congress either acts contrary to the interests of the people it purports to represent, or Congress does nothing at all. The House bends its own rules to sneak discriminatory language into an amendment, and the Senate refuses to hold hearings on a federal appointee. Congress obstructs, or Congress takes action that would only serve to harm the American people, and progress is never made. It is a dysfunctional system where everything, for the most part, stays the same. Powerful incumbents stay in office; policies and regulations stay favorable to their wealthy campaign donors; donors make more money, enabling them to contribute even more the next election cycle; and repeat. Politics stays the same and none of the countless legitimate issues get resolved, all to the detriment of the American people. Isn’t it time for Congress to make progress?

This election is shaping up to be unique, far beyond the options we have been given for our 45th President. Yes, those candidates are big names, with bigger personalities and the biggest campaigns, but the stakes are also much higher this year: all three branches of our federal government are up for grabs. The President, head of the executive branch, will be elected in November. The High Court of our judicial branch has a cavernous, formerly-conservative seat to be filled. One-third of the Senate and every seat in the House will hold elections that could transform the dynamic of our legislative branch moving forward, possibly for the better. This election is much bigger than the President.

The “issues” the mainstream media feeds us surrounding the Presidential race are not the real issues affecting real Americans. Those issues, and that race, are distractions. There are deeper questions that must be answered, legitimate needs that are not being met, and fundamental issues with our democracy that must be addressed if we are to make progress as a nation. Those questions, needs, and issues are all going to be resolved in Congress, or they won’t. I am certain that our 45th President will be a Democrat, and I have some peace of mind knowing they will appoint a qualified, reasonable, ethical Justice to the Supreme Court, if one is not confirmed sooner. But I have no faith in our legislative branch-- “Congress”-- as currently comprised, and you should not, either.

Florida’s Congressional District 27, in my hometown of Miami-Dade County, is held by an entrenched incumbent, an “establishment” Republican, a career politician with an enormous campaign war-chest. Her campaign, as of April 2016, has nearly $2 million cash on hand, much of that from corporations and big-moneyed interests determined to keep her in power-- forever. She has been in Congress since 1988, the year I was born. Many of her campaign donors from then still support her campaign today. Most of those donors are rich people and rich corporations, and because they have been successful in keeping her in office so long, they keep getting richer. Each year elections cost more money, campaigns get bigger, and policy and influence, which we now know is for sale, gets more expensive.

To bring this full circle: yes, there are countless legitimate issues facing our country that need real, smart solutions. But until we get big money out of our politics, there will be no possibility of doing the things we need to do as a nation, of devising real, smart solutions. There will be no possibility of progress.

Why must we continue debating the existence of climate change and how humans contribute to it, instead of formulating proactive, aggressive solutions? Because the fossil fuel industry contributes enormous sums to fund re-election campaigns for incumbents. Across all of sunny South Florida, where district 27 is located, the effects of climate change are already being felt. Construction projects on Miami Beach to literally raise sidewalks and streets and hopefully alleviate the threat of rising sea levels are underway. Nearly every month becomes the hottest on record in South Florida, and yet the incumbent representative from FL-27 did not sponsor one bill concerning climate change during the 114th Congress.

If our elected officials refuse to take action on #ClimateChange, then it’s time for #CongressChange.

As an attorney, I swore an oath to support the Constitution of the United States. I provided a link to Article I earlier, but with so many obvious threats to the values and principles on which these United States were founded, it is incumbent upon us (for lack of a better word) to review once more the supreme law of the land. Supporting the Constitution means reading it, understanding why our founding fathers chose those specific values and principles as central to the formation of our great nation, and keeping a vigilant, critical eye on our American politics and governance, not merely what the mainstream media feeds us. The influence of big money on our politics is obvious and far-reaching; its effects are felt at all levels of our government. The prosperity of our nation hinges on having crucial, “little-d” democratic discussions about climate change, equality for all, women’s rights, good jobs and support for the working class, access to quality affordable healthcare, education, and a litany of other domestic and foreign policy objectives I look forward to discussing over the coming months, each vital if we are to truly flourish as people and as a country.

You may not know me very well yet, and I may not bring the most experience, but I subscribe to a certain set of progressive, democratic values-- passionately-- and I owe it to my County, my State and my Country to do everything I can to make sure democracy is restored and upheld. As a candidate who has never run for public office before, and having never accepted one dollar from a corporation or special interest to fund a campaign, I promise first and foremost to support the Constitution, to protect democracy, and to be an uncompromised voice of the people: for reason, common-sense and progress in Congress.

That is why I am running for Congress. I cannot sit and watch any longer, it must be now. I would be honored to have your support.

Adam R. Sackrin
@AdamSackrin

The primary election is August 30, and the flippable FL-27 is located immediately to the South of FL-23, where Tim Canova and his remarkable, unwavering staff are waging a crucial primary battle. Including Alan Grayson’s efforts to take Marco Rubio’s old Senate seat, there are now at least three progressive Democrat candidates running winning campaigns in winnable races in a perennial swing state that could use a collective boost. You can contribute to Adam-- as well as to Canova and Grayson-- by tapping on the thermometer below.