SEIU Florida endorses ‘passionate advocate’ David Richardson for Miami-Dade Tax Collector

One of Florida’s biggest unions wants David Richardson to be Miami-Dade County’s first elected Tax Collector.

SEIU Florida, which represents some 80,000 health care, education, aviation and county government workers statewide, is endorsing Richardson for the job.

“The members of SEIU Florida understand the importance of having public servants in office who are not just receptive to the needs of working people, but passionately advocate on their behalf. David Richardson has done this time and time again, from his time in the Legislature to his tenure in Miami Beach, and we are proud to endorse him to be Miami-Dade’s Tax Collector,” said Martha Baker, President of SEIU Florida and Executive Director of SEIU Local 1991.

“Under (Richardson’s) leadership, Miami-Dade’s Tax Collector Office will better serve the needs of working-class people in our community.”

A former state lawmaker and City Commissioner, Richardson is a longtime accountant who has worked in both the public and private sectors. He began his nearly 40-year career as an auditor for the U.S. Department of Defense. In 1993, he opened his own small business focused on forensic auditing of government contracts and has continued as a CPA ever since.

In 2012, Richardson made history as one of the first openly gay candidates elected to the Legislature. Through much of his public service, he has adopted the nickname, “budget guy,” to encapsulate his focus on smart fiscal policies and financial accountability.

He filed to run for Tax Collector on May 1, 2023, and promises to bring a “fresh approach” to the office, including the use of mobile office hours, enhanced technology and streamlined services.

In a statement, Richardson said he is “very proud to have earned” SEIU Florida’s endorsement.

“Throughout our community, working people have rallied around this campaign because I am the one candidate in this race with a bold vision for a more efficient and accessible Tax Collector’s Office here in Miami-Dade,” he said.

Other groups backing Richardson, the lone Democrat in the Tax Collector race, include the South Florida AFL-CIO, 32BJ SEIU, CWA District 3, AFSCME Local 199, SEIU Local 1991, SAVE Action PC, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Miami Beach IAFF Local 1510, Miami Beach FOP Lodge 8.

Miami-Dade hasn’t had an elected Tax Collector since 1957, when county voters adopted a Home Rule Charter abolishing a few constitutional offices — including Tax Collector and Supervisor of Elections — and conferring their powers to the county manager, who appointed people to those posts.

The authority has fallen to the county Mayor, now Daniella Levine Cava, since 2007, when Miami-Dade voters approved a “strong Mayor” system.

That arrangement will soon change. In 2018, Florida voters — including 58% of Miami-Dade voters — approved a constitutional amendment requiring every county in the state to elect a Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, Sheriff and Property Appraiser by Jan. 7, 2025.

Levine Cava, a fellow Democrat, has endorsed Richardson. So have more than 50 current and former elected officials, his campaign said.

Internal polling by Richardson’s campaign found he enjoys a 10-point lead over his closest GOP adversary, ex-Hialeah Council member Bryan Calvo.

Calvo will face Republican Miami-Dade Community Council member Dariel Fernandez, who unsuccessfully ran for the County Commission in 2022, in the Aug. 20 Primary.

The General Election is on Nov. 5.