‘Proven champion’: Florida Education Association, United Teachers of Dade endorse Joe Saunders for HD 106

Image via Joe Saunders.

Two education unions just endorsed former Rep. Joe Saunders for House District 106.

Saunders campaign announced nods from the Florida Education Association, self-described as the largest labor union in the Southeast with more than 150,000 members, and United Teachers of Dade, which advocates for some 27,000 teachers and school employees in Miami-Dade County.

Both organizations provided statements.

“Joe is a proven champion for teachers and students, tirelessly fighting to ensure our schools have the resources they need,” FEA President Andrew Spar said. “We need his leadership back in Tallahassee to continue advocating for public education and the future of our state.”

UTD President Karla Hernández-Mats, who was Democrat Charlie Crist’s gubernatorial running mate in 2022, cited Saunders’ educational work as evidence he has firsthand experience of the demands teachers face.

“As an FIU Adjunct Professor in Public Policy and Administration, Joe Saunders genuinely understands the struggles our teachers and students encounter and has the expertise to achieve results effectively,” she said. “His unwavering support for public education and workers’ rights is the kind of leadership that will safeguard and ensure progress for all communities.”

Saunders, a founding member of the Floridians for Reproductive Freedom coalition and Senior Political Director of LGBQT advocacy group Equality Florida, made history in 2012 as one of the first openly gay members of the Legislature. He served one term representing the Orlando area. Now, he’s running to represent a coastal northeastern portion of Miami-Dade County.

He hopes to unseat Republican Rep. Fabián Basabe, whose upset victory in 2022 flipped HD 106 red.

As he did for many other endorsements he received this cycle — including nods from Florida Planned Parenthood, the South Florida AFL-CIO, SEIU Florida, Moms Demand Action, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and numerous current and former elected officials — Saunders said he is “deeply honored” to have support from FEA and UTD.

“Educators are the foundation of our communities, shaping our students and our state’s future,” he said. “I’ve always fought to ensure schools have the resources they need, and I’m committed to continuing that fight for the success of every student and teacher.”

Also running is Saunders’ aunt, independent St. Johns County resident Maureen “Mo” Saunders Scott. Hers is something of a spite campaign against her nephew, but says she’s no fan of Basabe either.

HD 106 covers several coastal northeast Miami-Dade municipalities, including Aventura, Bal Harbour Village, Bay Harbor Islands, Golden Beach, Indian Creek, Miami Beach, North Bay Village, Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside.

Until 2022, when Basabe won by a 0.46-percentage-point margin, the district had long been a Democratic stronghold. It’s one of roughly a handful of state legislative districts Florida Democrats hope to flip.

The General Election is on Nov. 5.