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