News

The youngest Florida House Democratic candidate to qualify in Broward County earns support from members of the Florida Legislature and prominent political groups.

BROWARD COUNTY, FL — Emily Rodrigues, the youngest person and only woman to qualify as a candidate for Florida House District 98, is highlighting the votes of confidence she’s received along the campaign trail – including those of prominent Democratic, progressive, women and youth-centered organizations, as well as several elected Florida Democrats. 

“As a first-time candidate and young woman who has shared my personal story in the hopes of bringing about positive change for others, I am humbled and honored by the tremendous support my campaign has received at the local, state, and even national level,” said Rodrigues. “Representing my hometown and serving my community in the Florida Legislature is a lifelong dream of mine, and I’ve spent my career preparing for this opportunity.” 

Rodrigues, whose professional experience includes direct work in the Florida legislative process as an aide to State Senator Shevrin Jones, proudly shares the endorsements of eight Florida legislators: Senator Shevrin Jones, Representative Joe Casello, Representative Lindsay Cross, Representative Rita Harris, Representative Johanna López, Representative Angie Nixon, Representative Katherine Waldron, and Representative Felicia Robinson. “I look forward to working alongside these admirable leaders in Tallahassee to uplift Floridians into a brighter future,” said Rodrigues. “From my experience in the Legislature, I’ve learned that successful policymakers are collaborative, dynamic team players. Together, we will tackle the issues truly affecting Floridians today – such as our property insurance and housing affordability crisis, our lack of access to quality healthcare, and the restrictive bans on reproductive health care put in place by the Republican majority in Tallahassee – and I thank these representatives for recognizing my potential as an elected leader at the state level.” 

Rodrigues’ campaign also earned endorsements from an array of regional and national-level organizations representing some of the most important issues on the national stage today. In South Florida, she’s received support from SAVE Action PAC, Florida’s longest-serving LGBTQ civil rights organization, and the Broward Young Democrats, both of which mobilized with Rodrigues’ campaign team in group “Days of Action” to get out the vote in her district this past weekend. Other endorsers include Ruth’s List Florida, a group dedicated to electing Democratic pro-choice women at the state and local level in Florida, the Florida chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), labor group Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Florida, and Florida For All, a progressive political action coalition. Her nods from national-level organizations include the Gunsense Candidate Distinction from gun violence prevention group Moms Demand Action, an endorsement from LPAC, the only organization dedicated to electing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer women and nonbinary people, and an endorsement from Run for Something, an organization which recruits and partners with young candidates for office. 

“From the start of my campaign, I’ve taken a clear stance on a variety of issues affecting Floridians today – from healthcare to housing – and have worked to communicate to my voters who I am and what I stand for,” said Rodrigues. “As someone whose career began in victims’-rights advocacy and community nonprofit work, the seal of approval from these organizations on the values and mission I stand for is so meaningful to me. With the help of this diverse coalition, I will earn the opportunity this August to represent House District 98 and work towards the progress Floridians want to see in our state.” 

Learn more about Emily and her campaign for FL-HD 98 at EmilyForFlorida.com.

###