Ryan Nicol
Two South Florida firefighter groups are endorsing Republican candidate Demi Busatta Cabrera in the House District 114 race.
The South Florida Council of Fire Fighters (SFCFF) and the Coral Gables Professional Fire Fighters Association are both backing Busatta Cabrera’s bid. Busatta Cabrera is the lone Republican to qualify in the three-person field.
Jean-Pierre Bado and Susi Loyzelle are competing for the Democratic nomination in HD 114.
“The South Florida Council of Fire Fighters and the nearly 3,500 firefighters and their families proudly endorses Demi Busatta Cabrera to represent Florida’s 114th District in the State House,” SFCFF President John O’Brien said in a Monday statement.
Busatta Cabrera has handily outraised Bado. She raised just under $11,000 in May, as fundraising in the region has slowed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the outbreak, Busatta Cabrera brought in some hefty monthly sums. Through June, Busatta Cabrera has added just over $96,000. She has just under $60,000 still on hand.
Bado, meanwhile has raised just over $34,000 with a head start on Busatta Cabrera, as he filed in the contest a month earlier.
Bado collected nearly $5,000 in May and has just over $20,000 in cash-on-hand, about one-third of Busatta Cabrera’s total.
Loyzelle is a newcomer to the race. She filed for the contest just days before the state’s qualifying period elapsed in June 12. Her first fundraising report will be due July 10.
The candidates are competing to replace Democratic Rep. Javier Fernández, who is pursuing a Senate seat after just one term representing HD 114. The district covers portions of Miami-Dade County including Cutler Bay and South Miami.
Fernández took the seat in a 2018 special election with a 5-point win over Republican Andrew Vargas. Six months later, Fernandez defeated attorney Javier Enriquez by 6 percentage points, earning Fernández his first full term.
Busatta Cabrera now hopes she can close the gap in 2020. She formerly served as a legislative assistant to Sen. Anitere Flores.
