Fabián Basabe to launch House re-election campaign in Miami Beach

Republican Rep. Fabián Basabe is officially kicking off his re-election bid for House District 106.

Basabe will hold a launch event May 30 at a to-be-disclosed Miami Beach venue.

He’s hosting the event with support from House Speaker-designate Daniel Perez, Lakeland Rep. Jennifer Canady, Fleming Island Rep. Sam Garrison and others, his campaign said.

“I believe that when people work together to solve big problems, amazing things are possible,” Basabe said in a statement.

“Whether you live on Miami Beach, in Sunny Isles, Aventura, or North Miami, you know that District 106 is a diverse and iconic corner of our state that needs leaders willing to bring people together and bring ideas to life.”

A wealthy socialite and former reality TV personality, Basabe narrowly won his HD 106 seat in November 2022, flipping the long-blue district red for the first time in decades through a mostly self-funded campaign.

He’s employing the same campaign finance strategy this cycle as he faces a challenge from former Rep. Joe Saunders.

During the 2023 Session, Basabe passed legislation (SB 1154) granting labor pools additional ways to provide workers with water and more time to fix alleged compliance violations while limiting the timeframe workers can bring civil action over a violation to one year. The measure passed with unanimous support in both chambers.

Basabe failed to pass any of the bills he filed this year amid backlash over his legislative voting record and accusations of harassment from two former office employees who are now suing him for defamation. A House investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing, and Basabe denies any misconduct.

He cited “historic” state funding he secured for resiliency and conservation in his district and behind-the-scenes efforts to soften worrisome state laws — including the “Parental Rights in Education” law and a coastal demolition measure passed this year — as accomplishments this year.

He also filed bills to expand the legal timeframe to get an abortion in Florida from six to 12 weeks and delete a same-sex marriage ban from Florida’s Constitution. Neither measure advanced.

“I am proud of the work we have accomplished together,” he said, “and I humbly ask our community for their vote as I promise to work harder than ever, once again, to deliver and give back.”

Basabe’s campaign said his second term “will be dedicated to uniting people and prioritizing the needs of Floridians in House District 106 and beyond.”

HD 106 covers a northeastern portion of Miami-Dade, including 10 coastal municipalities from Fisher Island and South Beach to Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach. It is one of the most affluent districts in the state and among the most susceptible to the oceanic effects of climate change.

The Primary Election is on Aug. 20, followed by the General Election on Nov. 5. So far, only Basabe and Saunders are running for the HD 106 seat.