Margaret Good taps Kevin Lata to manage Congressional campaign

State Rep. Margaret Good

Democrat Margaret Good officially tapped Kevin Lata as manager for her Congressional campaign to unset U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan.

“It’s an honor to be back on the Suncoast leading this campaign and working for a public servant who listens to Floridians about the issues that matter most to them,” Lata said.

Lata most recently has worked as an Iowa field director Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign. He also worked for Sanders’ 2016 campaign as well.

He and Good together rocked the Florida political world in 2018, and hope to do so again this cycle.

“Kevin is a proven leader who is committed to building the kind of people-powered campaign that shows up for voters in every part of the district and engages on the issues that matter to Floridians, like health care, a strong economy, and water quality,” Good said.

“I’m proud to have him lead our team.”

Good, a rising political star in the Florida Democratic Party, gained national prominence last year when she won a Sarasota area special election. She flipped a district blue that had gone to Republican President Donald Trump in 2016. Moreover, she defeated Republican James Buchanan, Vern Buchanan’s son.

Lata managed that special election campaign for Good, which pulled in $727,000 from nearly 5,000 donors around the country. Ultimately, the campaign swung a state House district that 15 months prior had gone to Republican Alex Miller by 26 percent.

Over the course of the campaign, a six-person field team knocked on almost 42,000 doors and places almost 128,000 phone calls. Ultimately, the legislative race saw a turnout of 36 percent, the highest for a special election in state history.

Lata later worked as a legislative aide for Good, a state Representative, in the Florida House in 2018.

In July, Good turned her sights on the elder Buchanan’s seat and indicated she will run for Congress in Florida’s 16th Congressional District.

This time she’s taking on an entrenched incumbent, not fighting for an open seat. But she came out of the gate raising $135,000 in the first day of her campaign.

Lata predicts similar messaging will help flip this district Democratic.

Lata has also worked as a regional field director for Tom Perriello’s Gubernatorial campaign in Virginia.