United Teachers of Dade
Endorsements
General Election Information
- Voter Registration Closes – Tuesday, October 11, 2022
- Early Voting Begins – Monday, October 24, 2022
- Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request Deadline – Saturday, October 29, 2022
- Early Voting Ends – Sunday, November 6, 2022
- Vote-by-Mail Ballot Return Deadline – Election Day – Tuesday, November 8, 2022
- Election Day – Tuesday, November 8, 2022 (7AM-7PM)
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Miami-Dade
Broward
General election Endorsements

Charlie Crist for Florida Governor
PUNCH #25
- Former Florida Governor and Current U.S. Congressman
- A long-standing fighter for Florida’s teachers and students
- Vetoed 2010 legislation that sought to eliminate tenure for newly hired teachers and tie a portion of teacher salaries to test scores
- Fought to save the jobs of 20,000 teachers while cutting taxes for seniors during the Great Recession
- Stopped radical attacks on women’s rights, vetoing laws to restrict a woman’s right to choose

Karla Hernandez for Lt. Governor
PUNCH #25
- President of the United Teachers of Dade
- Led the successful 2018 campaign to raise teacher pay in Miami-Dade, winning over 70% of the vote
- Member of the Florida Education Association (FEA) Governance Board, Member of the Florida AFL-CIO Executive Board, and Chairperson of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Women’s Rights Committee and Vice President of AFT
- 2010 Hialeah Middle School Teacher of the Year

Val Demings for United States Senate
PUNCH #11
- Current U.S. Congresswoman and former Chief of Orlando Police Department
- Proud graduate of Duval County Public Schools
- Worked for years as a social worker in Jacksonville to protect children in foster homes
- Believes that everyone deserves equal access to quality education regardless of the color of their skin or the zip code they live in
- A tireless champion for public safety, civil rights, and working people

Frederica Wilson for United States Congress
punch #16
- Proud graduate of Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Born and raised in Liberty City
- Experienced as a former teacher, administrator, and School Board Member within M-DCPS
- Founder of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Program, providing college scholarships to young men from across our community
- Strong advocate for our public schools as a state legislator and as a Member of Congress since 2001

Annette Taddeo for United States Congress
PUNCH #21
- Small business owner and the first Latina Democrat elected to the Florida Senate, representing the Kendall area
- Her family escaped political persecution by Castro-linked groups in Colombia when she was a teenager
- Strong supporter of legislation to provide additional funding to our public schools
- Seeks to end the flow of money from our public schools to for-profit corporations
- Advocated to end high stakes standardized testing in Florida

Janelle Perez for Florida State Senate
PUNCH #43
- Born and raised in Miami as the child of Cuban exiles
- Proud FIU graduate and former congressional aide
- Diagnosed with Stage IV Follicular Lymphoma at 27
- Co-owns her family’s Medicare company, employing more than 200 people in Miami-Dade
- Advocate for affordable and high-quality healthcare for all Floridians
- Focused on fighting for opportunities for children and families and protecting our environment

Jordan Leonard for Florida State House
PUNCH #45
- Proud graduate of M-DCPS schools
- Former Bay Harbor Islands Mayor, Vice Mayor, and served on council since 2008
- Former President of Miami-Dade League of Cities
- Small business owner providing medically-necessary therapy to low-income children

Alessandro "A.J." D'Amico for Florida State House
PUNCH #49
- Born in Miami and raised in Miami Lakes
- Son of a Cuban exile who fled the Castro regime to seek refuge in Hialeah
- Proud Florida State graduate, where he worked as a legislative aide at the Florida Capitol
- University of Florida-educated attorney and experienced civil litigator
- Plans to take up State Rep. Nick Duran’s role as a reliable supporter of public educators once elected

Juan Fernandez-Barquin for Florida State House
punch #54
- Born and raised in Miami-Dade
- Longtime West Kendall/Hammocks resident and Belen graduate
- Proud FIU graduate and practicing attorney
- Currently a Miami-Dade College Adjunct Professor
- Serves on the Board of Directors of the Hearing and Speech Center of Florida
- Dependable friend of Florida public schools and educators

Karyn Cunningham for Mayor of Palmetto Bay
punch #170
- Proud Miami-Dade native and M-DCPS graduate
- Accomplished M-DCPS teacher, community activist, and advocate for public education
- Has served with UTD since 2004, representing our members to defend their rights
- Board Member of the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment and Co-Chair of the South Dade Coalition for Chamber South
- Current Palmetto Bay Mayor and former Councilwoman for Seat 1

Javier Fernandez for Mayor of South Miami
punch #178
- Born and raised in Miami
- Proud UM Law graduate and experienced local attorney
- Former member of the Florida House representing South Miami and Coral Gables
- Reliable friend of organized labor and public educators as a legislator
- Advocate for smart growth in South Miami development