As previously announced, the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus will hold a membership meeting during the 2023 Winter Conference in Orlando on February 25, 2023 to elect Caucus officers — President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. There is no cost to attend the membership meeting, but members are encouraged to register in advance.

Click here to register online.

February 25, 2023, 3:30 pm
The Renaissance Airport Hotel
5445 Forbes Pl, Orlando, FL 32812

Pursuant to the Election Procedures, candidates who were nominated were invited to submit a photograph and a candidate biography, statement and/or platform of not more than 300 words. A listing of the announced candidates and their bios/statements are available for review on the Caucus website. Additional nominations for officers may be made from the floor at the meeting by a voting member.

View Nominee Bios/Statements and Election Procedures:

President

• Nathan Bruemmer

Vice President

• Loralei Matisse
• Kristen Browde

Secretary

• Ricki Bauman

We look forward to seeing you on February 25 in Orlando!

On February 25, 2023, members of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus will meet at the Winter Conference in Orlando to elect Caucus officers — President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Nominations for these Caucus officer positions will be accepted until January 26, 2023, via email to nominations@lgbtqdems.org.

Any voting member may run for a Caucus officer position, nominate another voting member, or have their name placed in nomination. To vote at the February 25 meeting in Orlando, or to run for an officer position, you must be a current voting member, or you must join the Caucus not later than Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

Persons nominated for a Caucus officer position will be asked by the Nominating Committee to verify they are willing to serve if elected. All eligible candidates will have the opportunity to submit a photograph and a biography, statement and/or a platform of 300 words or less, no later than February 4, 2023, for distribution to the membership.

For more information about the biennial organizational election of Caucus officers, click HERE for a copy of the Election Procedures. For information about the duties of the officers of the Caucus, click here to download a copy of the Caucus Bylaws.

Democratically yours,

2023 Nominating Committee
Rick Boylan, Chair
Carvelle Estriplet
Jeff Nall

Regional Director Elections Are Virtual on Saturday, January 14

The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus is powered by people like you — so be sure you’re a part of it! We’re visible and active across the state and our regional teams are a key source of strength for the grassroots work we do on behalf of Florida’s LGBTQ+ community. We want you to get involved and run for a Regional office!

Our regional teams consist of the Regional Director**, Deputy Director and Alternate Director. They sit on our Board and participate in our meetings, help set the priorities for the Caucus, and determine our legislative, communications and electoral focus. This is a two-year term.

Elections for Regional Officers will be held via Zoom on Saturday, January 14. Here’s what you need to know to qualify:

You must be a member of the Caucus to run. (Become a member HERE.)
You must reside in the region you’re running to represent.
You must be available to participate in our monthly Board meetings the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8pm ET.

The schedule for the regional elections is below. You can declare your intent to run at the meeting if you meet the above qualifications, but you must register in advance.

Regional Election Schedule
Saturday, January 14, 2023

Region 1 (Bay, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Leon, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington)
10:30am ET / 9:30am CT
Register HERE

Region 2 (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Union, and Volusia)
11:00am ET
Register HERE

Region 3 (Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sumter)
11:30am ET
Register HERE

Region 4 (Brevard, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole)
12:30p ET
Register HERE

Region 5 (Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, and Polk)
1:00pm ET
Register HERE

Region 6 (Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota)
1:30pm ET
Register HERE

Region 7 (Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie)
2:00pm ET
Register HERE

Region 8 (Broward)
2:30pm ET
Register HERE

Region 9 (Miami-Dade and Monroe)
3:00pm ET
Register HERE

THANK YOU for your interest in supporting the LGBTQ+ community through the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus. We are already planning for 2024, when we’ll reelect President Biden, defeat Sen. Rick Scott and Republican Members of Congress, and win municipal races and school board seats. It’s a big job and we really need you.

Also, plan ahead for our Winter Conference, to be held February 24-26 in Orlando. We’ll elect our officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) for the next two years at this conference. Look for more info shortly but put it on your calendar!

Here’s to a successful 2023 —

Stephen Gaskill
President

Ricki Bauman
Secretary

** The Regional Director holds the voting position. If the Regional Director cannot vote the Deputy Director does. The Alternate Director holds the vote if the Regional Director and Deputy Director cannot.

From our Bylaws:

“The Regional Directors shall organize chapters in selected counties in their regions, shall coordinate Caucus activities within each region, shall maintain close collaboration with county Democratic Executive Committees, and shall represent the President, at his or her request, in functions and meetings within the region.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2022

DELRAY BEACH, FL – According to the Human Rights Campaign, four transgender people have been killed in Florida so far this year:

• Duval Princess, a 24-year-old in the early stages of transitioning and who identified as transgender, was killed in Jacksonville on January 3, 2022.
• Nedra Sequence Morris, a 50-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in Opa-locka on May 14, 2022.
• Semaj Billingslea, a 33-year-old Black trans man, was killed in Jacksonville on September 21, 2022.
• Tiffany Banks, a 25-year-old Black trans woman, was killed in Miami on October 1, 2022.

Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus Vice President Robin Witt issued the following statement for Transgender Day of Remembrance:

“Today we remember our four Black and beautiful transgender family members who we lost in Florida this year. The full lives of Duval Princess, Nedra, Semaj, and Tiffany were cut short for being their authentic selves. We must continue the necessary work of raising awareness, promoting tolerance, and supporting our transgender and non-binary community. We also cannot and will not stop fighting to protect transgender Floridians from the Republican Party’s relentless onslaught of political rhetoric and attacks that is deliberately endangering our lives.”

Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus President Stephen Gaskill issued the following statement for Transgender Day of Remembrance:

“The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus honors the memory and legacy of the beautiful souls we’ve lost to senseless violence, and we stand in solidarity with our transgender members, Board members, officers, and those throughout the community. Our work is not done to protect their lives and dignity. As Ron DeSantis and his cult of sycophants continue to trade transgender and non-binary lives for political power, it’s on all of us to fight back with everything we have.”

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 The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus represents lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Floridians to the Florida Democratic Party. The Caucus is a statewide organization with chapters in 25 counties across Florida from Pensacola to Orlando to Miami – including most major metropolitan areas and many rural counties in between.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 16, 2022

Today, 12 Republicans in the US Senate joined all their Democratic colleagues in a critical test vote to codify marriage equality. Last summer, 47 Republicans in the House joined their Democratic colleagues to do the same.

Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus President Stephen Gaskill released the following statement on the test vote:

“Today’s Senate vote underscores the support the American people of both parties have for marriage equality. Despite the wishes of the ultra-conservative justices of the US Supreme Court, there is no appetite to take away this Constitutionally-guaranteed right. It’s a complete contrast to the anti-LGBTQ+ actions of Republican legislators across the country, but especially here in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis is leading a crusade to erase the LGBTQ+ community from public life. Our community is resilient, committed, and stands with the majority of Americans who understand that love is love.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 9, 2022

STATEMENT OF THE FLORIDA LGBTQ+ DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS ON THE 2022 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS

The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus congratulates all our candidates who ran on common sense positions of equality and nondiscrimination, access to abortion and healthcare, economic policies that protect Florida’s families, and the preservation of democracy. The 2022 election provided an opportunity to highlight what’s at stake for Floridians.

“Democrats are the party of the real Florida,” said Stephen Gaskill, president of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus. “Our candidates laid out their visions for the future of our state and for the country. We congratulate all those who ran, regardless of the outcome of their elections. We especially congratulate those who stood up for the LGBTQ+ community and made equality a central focus of their message. The 2022 election is over, but we are looking ahead to continuing our fight for a Florida for all.”

Congratulations to Val Demings and Charlie Crist for representing the values of Floridians. It is unfortunate that too many voters were swayed by the disingenuous campaign messaging of Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis, two politicians whose focus is on their own ambitions rather than the needs of our state.

We also congratulate our newest Democratic Members of Congress, Rep.-Elect Jared Moskowitz and Rep.-Elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost. Their presence in the Florida Congressional delegation brings new voices and visions for what Florida can become.

The LGBTQ+ Caucus in Tallahassee survives with the reelections of Sen. Shevrin Jones and Rep. Michele Rayner. Together, they will represent our community and be the frontline firewall for the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation we know the Republicans are planning. We will miss the voice of our champion Carlos Guillermo Smith, who faced an onslaught of special interest spending that he fought hard to overcome.

“The Republicans will once again attempt to marginalize our community and use LGBTQ+ discrimination as a messaging opportunity to advance the DeSantis presidential run,” Gaskill said. “Despite the results in individual races, Floridians overwhelmingly support the LGBTQ+ community in our ongoing fight for equality.”

With chapters in 25 counties across the state, the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus is among the most active organizations in the Florida Democratic Party. This cycle our chapters worked directly with candidates and campaigns, hosted fundraisers, events and rallies, canvassed and made phone calls, and were a visible and active presence on the campaign trail. The volunteers in our LGBTQ+ Get Out The Vote Center in Wilton Manors sent more than 5,000 GOTV postcards and operated a text banking operation that generated more than 200,000 GOTV texts to voters around Florida. The Center hosted rallies and events featuring Val Demings, Charlie Crist, Karla Hernandez, Aramis Ayala, Adam Hattersley, Lauren Book, Jason Pizzo, Dean Trantalis, and countless other candidates and elected officials.

“The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus will continue our organizing, outreach, and mobilization efforts as we head into the next election cycle,” Gaskill said. “We are not deterred by yesterday’s results.”

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The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus represents lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Floridians to the Florida Democratic Party. The Caucus is a statewide organization with chapters in 25 counties across Florida from Pensacola to Orlando to Miami – including most major metropolitan areas and many rural counties in between.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 5, 2022

The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus is announcing its endorsed candidates and constitutional amendment recommendations for the 2022 General Election and kicking off an online fundraising and get-out-the-vote effort for targeted races.

Caucus President Stephen Gaskill issued the following statement on the endorsements:

“The only way to stop the dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ agenda is to defeat the Republican politicians who shamefully attack our community for political gain. The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and its county chapters are working to turnout LGBTQ+ voters in the critical 2022 election and elect pro-equality Democrats who will protect and expand the rights of all LGBTQ+ Floridians.”

ENDORSED CANDIDATES

U.S. SENATE

Val Demings

U.S. HOUSE INCUMBENTS

Rep. Al Lawson – District 2
Rep. Darren Soto – District 9
Rep. Kathy Castor – District 14
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick – District 20
Rep. Lois Frankel – District 22
Rep. Frederica Wilson – District 24
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz – District 25

U.S. HOUSE CHALLENGERS

Danielle Nicole Hawk – U.S. House, District 3
Karen Green – U.S. House, District 7
Joanne Terry – U.S. House, District 8
Maxwell Alejandro Frost – U.S. House, District 10
Kimberly Walker – U.S. House, District 12
Eric Lynn – U.S. House, District 13
Alan Cohn – U.S. House, District 15
Jan Schneider – U.S. House, District 16
Andrea Doria Kale – Congress, District 17
Dr. Cindy Banyai – U.S. House, District 19
Jared Moskowitz – U.S. House, District 23
Christine Alexandria Olivo – U.S. House, District 26
Annette Taddeo – U.S. House, District 27
Robert Asencio – U.S. House, District 28

GUBERNATORIAL

Charlie Crist – Governor

CABINET

Adam Hattersley – CFO
Aramis Ayala – Attorney General

STATE SENATE

Loranne Ausley, State Senate – District 3
Tracie Davis, State Senate – District 5
Rodney Long, State Senate – District 9
Veysel Dokur, State Senate – District 12
Janet Cruz, State Senate – District 14
Darryl Rouson, State Senate – District 16
Linda Stewart, State Senate – District 17
Eunic Ortiz, State Senate – District 18
Vic Torres, State Senate – District 25
Shevrin Jones, State Senate – District 34
Lauren Book, State Senate – District 35
Raquel Pacheco, State Senate – District 36
Janelle Perez, State Senate – District 38

STATE HOUSE

Carollyn Taylor, State House – District 2
Cornelius Jones, State House – District 11
Angie Nixon, State House – District 13
Michael Anderson, State House – District 17
Yvonne Hayes Hinson, State House – District 21
Brandon Peters, State House – District 22
John Navarra, State House – District 28
Rick Karl, State House – District 29
Rishi Bagga, State House – District 35
Deborah Poulalion, State House – District 36
Carlos Guillermo Smith, State House – District 37
Sarah Henry, State House – District 38
Tiffany Hughes, State House – District 39
LaVon Bracy Davis, State House – District 40
Anna Eskamani, State House – District 42
Johanna Lopez, State House – District 43
Allie Braswell, State House – District 45
Kristen Arrington, State House – District 46
Bernard “Bernie” Fensterwald, State House – District 58
Lindsay Cross, State House – District 60
Janet Varnell Warwick, State House – District 61
Michele Rayner, State House – District 62
David Tillery, State House – District 66
Fentrice Driskell, State House – District 67
Lorissa Wright, State House – District 68
Andrew Learned, State House – District 69
Derek Reich, State House – District 73
Forest Blanton, State House – District 84
Curtis John Tucker, State House – District 85
Kelly Skidmore, State House – District 92
Katherine Waldron, State House – District 93
Patricia Hawkins-Williams, State House – District 99
Linda Thompson Gonzalez, State House – District 100
Hillary Cassel, State House – District 101
Marie Woodson, State House – District 105
Jordan Leonard, State House – District 106
Alessandro “A.J.” D’Amico, State House – District 113
Adam Benna, State House – District 114
Christie Cantin Davis, State House – District 115
Gabriel Gonzalez, State House – District 119
Adam Gentle, State House – District 120

MUNICIPAL

Alachua

Harvey Ward, Jr, Gainesville Mayor
Mary Alford, Alachua County Commission, District 1
Mary Helen Wheeler, Alachua County Commission, District 2
Ken Cornell, Alachua County Commission, District 4
Tina Certain, Alachua County School Board, District 1
James Ingle, Gainesville City Commission, District 2
Casey Willits, Gainesville City Commission, District 3
Bryan Eastman, Gainesville City Commission, District 4

Brevard

William “Bill” Johnson – West Melbourne City Council
Erin Dunne – School Board, District 2
James Alex Goins – Cocoa City Council, District 1

Broward

Ruth Carter Lynch, Broward County School Board, District 5
Allen Zeman, Broward County School Board, District 8
Rod Velez, Broward County School Board, District 1
Ken Keechl, Fort Lauderdale Commission, District 1
Yvette DuBose, Fort Lauderdale Commission, District 3
Scott Newton, Wilton Manors Mayor
Paul Rolli, Wilton Manors Commission, At-Large

Duval

Lakesha Burton for Sheriff

Escambia

Ann Hill – Pensacola City Council, District 6
Myra Van Hoose – County Commission, District 4

Hillsborough

Harry Cohen, Hillsborough County Commission, District 1
Angela Birdsong, Hillsborough County Commission, District 2
Mariella Smith, Hillsborough County Commission, District 5
Kimberly Overman, Hillsborough County Commission, District 7

Lee

Kathy Fanny, Lee County School Board, District 1
Chantel Rhodes, City of Fort Myers Council, District 3
Steven Blumrosen, City of Bonita Springs Council, District 3

Leon

Cristian Caban – County Commission, District 2
Alex Stemle – School Board, District 4

Orange

Maria Salamanca, Orange County School Board, District 2

Osceola

Viviana Janer, Osceola County Commission, District 2
Heather Kahoun, Osceola School Board, District 4
Angela Eady, Kissimmee City Commission, District 2

Polk

Markeishia Smith – County Commission, District 4

Sarasota

Fredd Atkins, County Commission, District 2
Daniel Kuether – Sarasota County Commission, District 4

Volusia

Justin Kennedy – School Board, District 3
Al Bouie – School Board, District 1

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Amendment 1 – No
Amendment 2 – No
Amendment 3 – No

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2022

WILTON MANORS, FL – Today, alongside Equality Florida Action PAC, Human Rights Campaign PAC, and SAVE Action PAC, the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus has endorsed equality champion Charlie Crist for Governor of Florida. Caucus President Stephen Gaskill issued the following statement on the endorsement:

“The lives of LGBTQ+ Floridians are put further at risk each time that Ron DeSantis relentlessly attacks our community. We need a Governor who will undo the damage caused by DeSantis and who will put our state back on the path to full equality. Charlie Crist is the leader we can trust to protect and expand LGBTQ+ rights, and we are proud to endorse him.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 24, 2022

DELRAY BEACH — The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus congratulates its endorsed candidates who won their primaries yesterday. The Caucus endorsed in specific races, and echoed several endorsements that came from our chapters. Caucus President Stephen Gaskill issued the following statement:

“Florida Democrats are on the offensive this cycle. We’re taking on the Republicans for their poor management of state government, neglect of key economic issues like the property insurance crisis, support for anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and fealty to authoritarians like Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump. 2022 will be a Democratic success.”

Caucus Campaign Director Dave Cutler congratulated the candidates:

“Congratulations to our endorsed candidates who won their primaries yesterday. These candidates have demonstrated their commitment to LGBTQ+ equality and have earned voters’ trust. We look forward to helping ensure their victories in November.”

Among our victorious endorsed candidates with primaries are:

Statewide Candidates

Val Demings, US Senate
Aramis Ayala, Attorney General

Congressional Incumbents

Rep. Kathy Castor
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Rep. Frederica Wilson
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Congressional Challengers/Open Seats

CD-3 Danielle Hawk
CD-10 Maxwell Frost
CD-23 Jared Moskowitz
CD-27 Annette Taddeo
CD-28 Robert Asencio

Florida Senate Candidates

SD-5 Tracie Davis
SD-34 Shevrin Jones
SD-35 Lauren Book

Florida House Candidates

HD-13 Angie Nixon
HD-22 Brandon Peters
HD-36 Deborah Poulalion
HD-38 Sarah Henry
HD-40 LaVon Bracy Davi
HD-58 Bernard Fensterwald
HD-62 Michele Rayner
HD-92 Kelly Skidmore
HD-98 Paula Hawkins-Williams
HD-105 Marie Woodson
HD-106 Jordan Leonard
HD-109 Ashley Gantt
HD-113 AJ D’Amico
HD-119 Gabriel Gonzalez

# # #

The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus represents lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Floridians to the Florida Democratic Party. The Caucus is a statewide organization with chapters in 25 counties across Florida from Pensacola to Orlando to Miami – including most major metropolitan areas and many rural counties in between.