Richard Lamondin: Time for new leadership that delivers for Miami families

A few months ago, I was watching my young son play outside while the news played in the background. I began to wonder: what kind of country are we leaving him? Will he have the same opportunities my parents and grandparents gave me? Will his Miami still reflect the values and promise that gave me my start? And would anyone fight to make sure it does?

I decided that the answer to all of those questions had to be yes.

I’m not a politician — I’m a father, husband and a business owner, born and raised in Miami. I’m running for Congress because Washington has lost touch with the realities that everyday people face. While politicians trade blame and chase headlines, too many families in our community are being left behind. It’s time for leadership that delivers real solutions, not more of the same.

In Miami-Dade, families are struggling just to get by. Rent is out of control. Groceries, child care, and insurance cost more than ever. Small businesses are getting crushed. Some of them are leaving. Meanwhile, politicians focus on their own ambitions rather than addressing the problems we face every day. That has to change.

I built my business from the ground up with my brother. We rolled up our sleeves and did the work ourselves — from installing toilets to sealing leaks — driven by a simple idea: sustainability should help both the planet and people’s wallets. Through ecofi, we’ve helped thousands of renters lower their utility bills while conserving billions of gallons of water. That hands-on experience shaped who I am — someone who shows up, works hard and solves problems.

And that’s exactly what I’ll do in Congress.

My journey is rooted in the values my family passed down. My grandfather was a Teamster and a World War II combat veteran. My grandmother worked on a switchboard when a car accident left him unable to work. They didn’t speak about the American Dream in political clichés — they lived it, day by day, through grit, persistence and service. Those values shaped my life and my approach to business.

But success hasn’t come easily.

Like so many in our community, I’ve faced medical debt. I’ve felt the weight of rising insurance premiums. My wife and I have navigated the soaring cost of child care while raising our 3-year-old son, Leonardo. I understand the pressure families are under, and I refuse to accept that this is just how things are now.

That’s why I’m stepping up. I believe in an America where hard work pays off, where families can thrive, and where the government works for the people it serves.

That starts with lowering the cost of living, expanding access to health care and child care and ensuring small businesses and working people aren’t left behind.

It also means protecting our freedoms — the right to vote, the right for women to make decisions about their own bodies, and the right to send our kids to school without fear. These aren’t abstract political issues — they’re deeply personal, and I’m ready to fight for them.

The incumbent I’m challenging has repeatedly voted against our community’s interests. She uses my Venezuelan friends as political pawns, then looks the other way while Trump cozies up to dictators and cuts secret deals to boost oil sales in exchange for Venezuelan migrants fleeing a violent autocrat. She voted for what I call the Big Bad Bill — a cruel package that guts Medicaid and other vital health care programs, including the care my 103-year-old grandmother relies on and earned through a lifetime of hard work. While families across Miami-Dade are budgeting for diapers and groceries, that bill gives handouts to the ultra-wealthy and adds trillions to the deficit.

We deserve better. We deserve someone who shows up to fight for us.

In Congress, I’ll bring a new kind of leadership — grounded in real-world experience, not political games. I’ve balanced budgets. I’ve created good-paying jobs. I’ve gotten results. I’ll bring that same practical, solution-focused approach to Washington.

Miami-Dade has always been a place where people come to pursue the American Dream. It’s where we’ve chosen to raise our son — so he can have the same opportunities we had. And I believe we can make it a place where every family has a fair shot. But that will only happen if we elect leaders who are willing to fight for it.

It’s time for new solutions. It’s time for a new generation of leaders. It’s time to stand up, work together, and build a better future for the people who make this community strong.

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Miami native Richard Lamondin is a Democrat running for Florida’s 27th Congressional District.