Ruth’s List Florida again backs Danielle Cohen Higgins for Miami-Dade County Commission

Miami-Dade Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, who represents the district containing the La Quinta property, has stanchly opposed its purchase and redevelopment since the proposal was first raised. But support on the dais for her cause dwindled as the final vote neared. Image via Danielle Cohen Higgins.

As it did more than two years ago when she successfully sought a seat on the Miami-Dade Commission, Ruth’s List Florida has again thrown its support behind Danielle Cohen Higgins.

Cohen Higgins is seeking election to the seat representing District 8. She has held the seat since December 2020, when the County Commission appointed her to replace Daniella Levine Cava, who was elected Mayor.

“Danielle has been deeply committed to serving the community,” Ruth’s List Florida Vice President of Political and Programs Kayla vanWieringen said in a press release that noted Cohen Higgins is the first person of Jamaican descent to serve on the Commission and its only current member who is a Black woman.

Ruth’s List Florida is an organization focused on helping to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights. Other recent endorsees include Ashley Gantt in House District 109, Tiffany Hughes in House District 39, Jen McDonald in House District 65 and Micky Steinberg, who is running to succeed term-limited Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman.

Supporting Cohen Higgins’ election bid, vanWieringen said, is crucial to ensuring at least a third of the 13-person Miami-Dade Commission is female.

“She’s worked to help strengthen Miami-Dade by improving affordability, investing in real transit solutions, and focusing on sustainable practices to protect and beautify our neighborhoods for generations to come,” vanWieringen said. “We’re thrilled to support Danielle’s campaign for Miami-Dade County Commission.”

She continued: “It’s more crucial than ever that we elect Democratic pro-choice women like Danielle to stand up for our rights at the local level.”

A lawyer in private life, Cohen Higgins is the founding attorney and partner at Cohen Law. She has served on the statewide board of Ruth’s List Florida. She is the current Commission-appointed board member of The Children’s Trust, a nonprofit that invests county property tax revenue into programs that improve the lives of children, and a past board member of the South Florida American Heart Association and Take Stock in Children, among other roles.

Through March 31, she has raised about $773,000 between her campaign and political committee, Fight for Our Future, to defend her seat.

He only opponent, Hammocks Citizens Advisory Committee Vice Chair Alicia Arellano, has raised just under $2,400.