Ryan Nicol
Republican candidate Tom Fabricio is releasing a new ad going after incumbent Democratic Rep. Cindy Polo in a new ad supporting his House District 103 campaign.
The 30-second ad is titled, “Fight.” It begins by quoting an opinion piece from a conservative website criticizing Polo’s tenure since she won the HD 103 seat in 2018.
“Cindy Polo: called untrustworthy and Florida’s worst legislator,” the ad’s narrator begins, referencing the article.
“Polo betrayed us with political games, voting against pay raises for teachers, health insurance for children, even hot meals for the elderly. We need Tom Fabricio: husband, father and award-winning volunteer for at-risk youth. Tom will fight for our seniors, kids and teachers, and he’ll stop the political games that hurt the ones we love the most.”
The ad then shows Fabricio sitting with former HD 103 Rep. Manny Diaz, as Diaz gives his endorsement.
“Please vote for my friend, Tom Fabricio,” Diaz says to close the ad. Diaz now serves in the Florida Senate.
Those “no” votes from Polo cited in the ad refer to her vote against the 2019-20 state budget, which included all of those items. Polo was one of two lawmakers to vote “no” on the budget, joining Democratic. Rep. Loranne Ausley.
To be clear, Polo did not oppose individuals bills pushing those initiatives, but rather disapproved of the state budget overall. Polo did vote in favor of a bill raising teacher pay once it reached the floor of the Legislature during the 2020 Session.
Fabricio has previously criticized Polo’s legislative record during her freshman term. Only one bill where Polo served as the main sponsor got through the Legislature during that term. That was a ceremonial bill in 2019 designating April 25 of that year as “Colombian-American Heritage Day.”
“I decided to run for State Representative because the residents of HD 103 deserve a leader who will fight for them each and every day,” Fabricio added in a statement released alongside the ad.
“My opponent has chosen to put her personal politics first at the expense of our community, and, when elected, I will always make our grandparents, kids, teachers, and those who need us the most the top priority.”
In response to the ad, Polo added a statement pushing back against the attacks and arguing Fabricio would bend to the whims of GOP higher-ups.
“Imagine what we could accomplish if the party in power used this type of energy towards solving real issues, instead of attacking me and attacking their own like just a few weeks ago.”
“I will always use my voice to speak up on behalf of my neighbors and to call out the lack of leadership in the Florida GOP. I am not beholden to their tired playbook, special interests nor to a recycled band of politicians. I find it telling and sad that the only person asking for a vote in this video is Manny Diaz Jr., proving that my opponent is already quite comfortable relinquishing his voice to his handlers.”
HD 103 covers parts of Miami Lakes and Doral in Miami-Dade County and also extends into Miramar in Broward County.
