Ryan Nicol
The Florida arm of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is putting its weight behind Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell as she seeks reelection to Florida’s 26th Congressional District.
“We need more fighters in Washington who will stand up for the rights of Florida’s working families. Congresswoman Mucarsel-Powell understands firsthand the struggles of working families because she’s lived them — she’s the daughter of a home health care worker who did double shifts to support their family,” said Martha Baker, the SEIU Florida State Council President.
“She spent her career before Congress fighting to expand access to quality health care for those who need it most. Now, she is a champion for affordable health care in Washington and is fighting tirelessly for protections for essential workers and our most vulnerable communities in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.”
SEIU Florida represents more than 55,000 active and retired workers in the state.
Mucarsel-Powell is unopposed on the Democratic side in the CD 26 race. She’ll face the winner of the Republican primary between Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez and Omar Blanco, the former head of Miami-Dade Firefighters Local 1403. The GOP race will be decided during the primary on Aug. 18.
“I am honored to earn SEIU Florida’s endorsement, and when I am re-elected I will continue fighting for South Florida workers by advocating for union rights, expanding access to affordable health care, and working to get the Raise the Wage Act — which I proudly voted for this Congress — across the finish line to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour,” Mucarsel-Powell said.
Mucarsel-Powell won CD 26 in 2018 over Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo by 2 percentage points. Democratic U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California — a leading contender to be the Democratic vice presidential nominee — also recently endorsed Mucarsel-Powell.
