Jesse Scheckner
Miami Beach Republican Rep. Fabián Basabe’s re-election campaign in House District 106 just got a boost from an Oscar winner and two notable Florida GOP officials.
Cuba Gooding Jr., whose turn as footballer Rod Tidwell in “Jerry Maguire” won him a Best Supporting Actor statue at the 69th Annual Academy Awards, urges voters to re-elect Basabe.
So are Republican Reps. Alex Rizo, Chair of the Miami-Dade County GOP, and Randy Fine of Palm Bay.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Cuba Gooding Jr. here,” the actor said in a video posted to Basabe’s TikTok page.
“Vote Fabián Basabe, (No.) 28 (on the) Primary ballot. Let’s get it done.”
@fabianbasabe Thank you Cuba for your trust, enduring friendship and for this great shout out ❤️. We love Miami Beach, love the USA and we will continue to bring home funding, ensure the safety of our citizens and visitors and produce tangible results. Let’s get it done! #RepBasabe #CubaGoodingJr #District106 #FB♥️FL #LetsGetItDone #VOTE28 #primaries2024
Rizo appeared in a video on Basabe’s Instagram page. The video showed the two lawmakers at a Miami Marlins game.
“Hey everyone,” Rizo said. “This is Alex Rizo, Chair of the Miami-Dade Republican Party, asking you to please go out and support our incumbent, Fabián Basabe, one of the best Representatives that we have, on Election Day. Remember: Vote Republican. Vote Basabe.”
Fine, meanwhile, appeared alongside Basabe in a video posted to the Miami Jewish Community page on Facebook.
“Hey, I’m state Rep. Randy Fine, and I have the distinction of being the only Republican Jew in the Florida Legislature. We have tackled antisemitism and stood with Israel more than any other state in the country, and we’ve done that because we have great Republicans to help us,” Fine said.
“I’m honored that one of those colleagues, Fabián Basabe, who’s next to me, has helped me every step of the way for the last two years. So, if you’re Jewish and you’re trying to figure out who to vote for in this election, it’s a very easy choice. Vote for Fabián Basabe.”
Basabe, whose district is home to one of Florida’s largest Jewish populations, was a co-sponsor of a unanimously passed law adopting Florida’s first comprehensive definition of antisemitism. The measure came amid a staggering rise in hateful acts against Jews following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists and Israel’s retaliatory and rescue operations since.
The new trio of endorsements, all published Thursday, follow nods Basabe received in the past week from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida and five first responder unions.
He also has the support of many notable Florida GOP members, including CFO Jimmy Patronis, House Speaker-designate Daniel Perez, and Rep. Jennifer Canady, who were part of a broad host committee that boosted Basabe’s re-election campaign launch in May.
Basabe is running to keep the seat he narrowly won in November 2022. He faces one Primary challenger, lawyer Melinda Almonte. Former state Rep. Joe Saunders, a Democrat, is also running. So is Saunders’ aunt, Maureen Saunders Scott, a no-party candidate whose name on the ballot changed last month to “Moe Saunders.”
Joe Saunders is suing her, Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Christina White to reverse the name change.
Of note, Gooding, in recent years, has faced a flood of sexual assault allegations. He’s denied all wrongdoing but settled with one accuser and pleaded guilty in another case.
Basabe has also faced accusations of unwelcome sexual contact from a former House staffer and a former intern, who are now suing him for battery and defamation. Two House investigations found no evidence of wrongdoing, and Basabe denies any misconduct.
HD 106 covers a northeastern portion of Miami-Dade, spanning 10 coastal municipalities from Fisher Island and South Beach to Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach.
The Primary Election is on Aug. 20, followed by the General Election on Nov. 5.
