Smith’s campaign announced new endorsements from Florida Democratic Sens. Tracie Davis, Tina Polsky and Rosalind Osgood, adding to a string of endorsements he’s already received from other local and state politicians, Congressmen Maxwell Frost and Jared Moskowitz, the Central Florida AFL-CIO, and a cadre of individual labor unions representing tens of thousands of Florida workers altogether.
“These endorsements speak volumes,” Allison Cassidy, Smith’s campaign manager, said of the new endorsements announced Tuesday. “The majority of Florida Senate Democrats agree — Carlos Guillermo Smith has what it takes to serve in the Florida Senate and deliver for the people of Central Florida.”
Granted, there are only 12 Democrats in the Florida Senate (which is GOP-dominated, packed with 28 Republicans), but that also means the silence of other Senate Democrats, who have yet to endorse his bid for office, speaks volumes about whom they think will join Smith in the race.
Other state senators who have endorsed Smith so far include Shevrin Jones, Lori Berman, Geraldine Thompson and Sen. Victor Torres.
Smith, who also serves as senior policy advisor for Equality Florida (and is endorsed by their PAC), isn’t a political newcomer and has a record as a progressive, pro-labor Democrat in one of Florida’s few bluish bubbles.
Smith was elected to the Florida House in 2016 as the state’s first openly gay Latino in the state legislature as an advocate for gun reform and LGBTQ equality. Last year, however, after redistricting shifted more Republicans into his House district, Smith lost his bid for reelection to sitting Rep. Susan Plasencia, a Republican who snagged 52% of the vote — just about 2,000 more votes than Smith, flipping the district red. But his record’s not lost on his former colleagues.
“In the House, Carlos was a champion for gun violence prevention who was never afraid to speak truth to power,” Florida Sen. Polsky said in a statement. “The time is now for bold leaders in the Florida Senate who will stand up to GOP extremism. That’s why I’m proud to endorse Carlos Guillermo Smith in this race.”
Since his loss last year, Smith has — like many of his former Democratic colleagues — remained a vocal opponent to state policies introduced by state Republicans over the last year targeting the rights of LGBTQ communities, organized labor, immigrants and Florida's public education system.
He’s the only 2024 candidate so far to pick up an endorsement from the Central Florida AFL-CIO, a local federation of labor unions representing thousands of workers in the Central Florida region, ranging from theme park workers to teachers, nurses and transit workers.
“Carlos Guillermo Smith has consistently proven himself as a friend and champion of labor,” Eric Clinton, president of the Central Florida AFL-CIO and Unite Here Local 362, shared in a statement earlier this year. “With nearly 10,000 Union members in Senate District 17, we hope to send a strong message that organized labor stands firmly with Carlos, just as he has stood with us.”
Smith first announced his bid for the District 17 Senate seat in April, which is currently held by business-friendly Democrat Linda Stewart, who’s term-limited from seeking reelection.
Smith is so far running unopposed, although he’s hinted that critics of his record are working to recruit a primary challenger against his campaign. “They’re scared of our movement, but can't buy this seat,” Smith shared in April on X, the online platform formerly known as Twitter.
Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | or sign up for our RSS Feed
