“This election season was an opportunity for us to see how far candidates who focus on the issues that matter most to working people could go. Building a political infrastructure to educate and empower our communities resulted in voters who mobilized their coworkers, families and friends to go vote, when many times they would have stayed home. The turnout rate this year illustrated that people want a better Florida and we will continue working on a long-term plan to get there.

The inspiring campaign of our SEIU family member Angie Nixon drove large numbers of new voters or dormant voters to the polls.  This energy, felt all over the state, helped many other candidates win their local, state and federal races. We congratulate our endorsed candidates and all others who have pledged to serve our state’s working people and retirees, not billionaires or big business.

These victories happened despite many obstacles, including the ongoing lack of support and funding from national figures and institutions that has resulted in a deep voter registration gap in our state. Tactics from self-serving political forces resulted in a drop of roughly 700,000 people who voted by mail compared to the 2022 midterm election. While this clearly hurt, it was also overcome in important down ballot races.

Unprecedented redistricting manipulated congressional voting districts with the hope of weakening worker-first candidates but that didn’t work either. Congressional leaders who care about healthcare, education, childcare, quality jobs, and justice still won state and federal seats despite the disadvantages deliberately concocted by the entrenched cynics in Tallahassee. By netting more seats in the Florida House, there will no longer be a supermajority operating with nearly unlimited power to move its agenda in favor of billionaires and big corporations.

"Kudos to all the canvassers, phone bankers and activists with our union and community partners who volunteered and mobilized voters for months. The outcome was far from perfect in Florida last night, but we clearly see the path. We need to elect homegrown leaders who reflect our values. We must have an earnest investment from supporters across the country, new national leaders who deliver policies that solve the real issues, and an ongoing, informed, empowered electorate to demand what all our families need here at home. With all of this, we’ll truly and soon see a better Florida for all."

###

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest union of healthcare workers in Florida, representing more than 30,000 active and retired caregivers across the state. Members of 1199SEIU serve in about 80 nursing homes and 30 hospitals in Florida.

 

Media contact:
Ed Gilhuly
305-807-6906
edward.gilhuly@1199.org