Miami-Dade Democratic Party backs Jackie Gross-Kellogg as ‘the type of leader we need’ in HD 113

Image via Jackie Gross-Kellogg.

Citing her support for progressive ideals like reproductive rights and gun restrictions, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party says it is backing Jackie Gross-Kellogg’s bid for House District 113.

Gross-Kellogg, a first-time candidate, is running to unseat Republican Rep. Vicki Lopez, who won the HD 113 seat in 2022 by less than a 2-percentage-point margin.

A Miami-Dade Democratic Party press note said Chair Shevrin Jones, a Senator from Miami Gardens, “has been aggressively fundraising to ensure Jackie and other Democratic candidates on the ballot have the support they need to be successful in November.”

Jones said in an accompanying statement that Gross-Kellogg is “the type of leader we need in Tallahassee — someone who will fight for the rights of our constituents, from reproductive freedom to gun safety and educational improvements.”

“Ensuring that we protect and win Democratic-leaning seats like District 113 is essential to advancing our goals for the county (and we) are committed to giving her the necessary support to secure a win in this competitive race,” he said.

“Winning back this seat is crucial, and with the support of our community and the dedication of volunteers and grassroots efforts, we believe Jackie will deliver the change that District 113 deserves.”

A longtime Key Biscayne resident, nonprofit development professional and public school advocate who was elected Central Region Coordinator of the Miami-Dade Council PTA/PTSA Executive Board in 2022, Gross-Kellogg filed to run on May 24.

Her filing came one week after fellow Democrat Jenny Lee Molina, a publicity specialist who has worked since 2023 as Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s senior digital strategist, entered and exited the HD 113 race within mere hours.

Meanwhile, Democrat Oliver Gilbert III, the highest-ranking member of the County Commission, has endorsed Lopez. Gilbert and Miami-Dade Commission Vice Chair Anthony Rodriguez, a Republican and former Representative, announced their support of Lopez five days after Gross-Kellogg filed.

Documentarian and Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) member Billy Corben, who briefly ran against Jones for the party’s Chair post in April, accused Levine Cava and her campaign adviser, Christian Ulvert, of pressuring Molina to drop out of the race.

Gross-Kellogg, for her part, said she hoped other candidates would jump into the contest before the June 14 qualifying deadline. None did.

On Thursday, Corben took an in-party dispute with Jones public after Jones blocked him from the DEC’s WhatsApp chat. Screenshots of the chat Corben posted on X show him demanding an explanation for a video of Gilbert promoting the party’s upcoming Blue Gala.

“Is this a joke?” he wrote. “Gilbert publicly endorsed a Republican in the competitive Florida House D113 race.”

Jones responded by inviting Corben to speak privately about the matter. When Corben pursued the matter further in the chat, Jones threatened to remove him. Corben persisted, and Jones removed him.

“The (Florida Democrats) never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity: I called out corrupt Dem Oliver Gilbert for endorsing a Republican in a State House race — so (Florida Democratic Party Chair) Nikki Fried’s handpicked (Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair) Shevrin Jones banned me,” Corben wrote on X.

Jones fired back, “Billy, you don’t want to help Dems win, you want to be a disruptor and an agitator, so we are allowing you to do that on your own time. And yes, I did block you from the group! Just like you can share, I can (too). Happy likes!”

HD 113 covers a central portion of Miami-Dade County, spanning all of Key Biscayne and parts of Coral Gables and Miami, including Virginia Key and PortMiami, one of the county’s two top economic engines alongside Miami International Airport.

In addition to tackling gun safety and reproductive rights issues, Gross-Kellogg vows if elected to work on lowering property insurance, protecting the environment, passing heat protections for workers, raising the minimum wage, improving access to voting, supporting the LGBTQ community, and counteracting Florida’s school voucher program and so-called book bans.

Lopez, a former Lee County Commissioner who later took part in criminal justice reform efforts under Govs. Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist and Rick Scott, won in 2022 with 51% of the vote. She has since proven herself to be an especially effective center-right lawmaker, passing 40% of the bills she filed in 2023 and 75% in this past Session.

But according to the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, the district remains a D+4 seat, “providing a significant opportunity for Democrats.” Matt Isbell of MCI Maps also said HD 113 is flippable, noting that Joe Biden won there by 12 points in 2020, and DeSantis won it by just 2 points two years later.

The General Election is on Nov. 5.