Florida Dems hire Johanna Cervone as Deputy Communications Director to focus on Hispanic outreach

The Florida Democratic Party has hired Johanna Cervone to serve as its Deputy Communications Director and Hispanic Press Secretary.

As the Deputy Communications Director and Hispanic Press Secretary, Cervone will expand the party’s press outreach, with a special focus on Hispanic media and issues.

Cervone will also serve as the main point of contact for the media throughout the state.

Cervone most recently served as the South Florida Regional Press Secretary for the Hillary for Florida campaign. Prior to her role on the campaign, she served as the Communications Director for Miami-Dade Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava.

“Florida families deserve a spokesperson who will hold our failed Republican Governor and legislature accountable to their harmful policies. Today, I am pleased to announce that the Florida Democratic Party has hired Johanna Cervone as our Deputy Communications Director and Hispanic Press Secretary. As Chair of the Party, I am more committed than ever to make sure that every Florida family has a voice in our democracy and a fair shot in our economy. Johanna brings a wealth of communications and outreach experience to the team and she will help us amplify our message of Democratic Party,” said FDP Chair Stephen Bittel.

“I am very excited to join the FDP team. I look forward to working with stakeholders across Florida to spread the party’s message in English and Spanish and build on FDP’s strong digital and communications program,” said Cervone.

Cervone’s career in politics and government began with President Barack Obama‘s re-election in 2012 and she has since been involved with several local, national and international campaigns. A native of Argentina, Johanna was raised in Miami.

In 2015, a group of Spanish-language journalists and community leaders sent a letter to the respective chairs of the Florida Republican and Democratic parties, calling on them to hire a bilingual spokesperson to “successfully relay your message to the Latino media.” Leading the effort was Evelyn Perez-Verdia, a Fort Lauderdale Latina activist who has argued that, with a growing Latino community that thirsts for information about the political climate, both state parties should hire bilingual communication directors.

The RPOF fulfilled that demand when Chairman Blaise Ingoglia hired Wadi Gaitan (Gaitan stepped down last year after Donald Trump became the GOP presidential nomineee). That didn’t happen under Allison Tant’s tenure with the FDP, however.

Now it has under Bittel.