Jacob Ogles
Former congressional candidate Lucia Báez-Geller will try to unseat state Rep. Fabián Basabe from his battleground seat in 2026.
The former Miami-Dade School Board member announced her campaign in House District 106, voicing a desire to serve the public again.
“I’ve spent my entire life in this community — as a student, a teacher, a public servant, and a parent,” Báez-Geller said. “I know what our families are going through, and I’m running to bring honest leadership, real accountability, and a strong voice for the people of District 106.”
Last year, Basabe narrowly won re-election over Democrat Joe Saunders, winning 51% of the vote despite being outspent. That came two years after the Miami Beach Republican won his seat by just 241 votes over Democrat Jordan Leonard.
Democrats, hopeful to break a Republican supermajority in the House next year, will likely target the South Florida seat again in 2026.
Báez-Geller’s entry shows that intent. She challenged U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar in 2024. While Báez-Geller fell short, the Democrat raised more than $650,000 for the campaign and worked closely with Democratic leaders in Miami-Dade.
Báez-Geller also has a record from her time on the School Board, where she was widely considered to be the body’s most progressive member. Her campaign stressed a record focusing on school safety, student success and strengthening public education.
Before holding office, Báez-Geller taught at Miami Beach Senior High School. The 15-year classroom teacher said that gives her a closer understanding of working families and the need to invest in future generations.
HD 106 also still has a Democratic tilt in voter registrations despite Miami-Dade’s rightward shift in recent years. The district, which covers Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach and Aventura, has 36,286 registered Democrats living there, compared to 32,614 Republicans and 47,037 other voters.
Meanwhile, Basabe has been a controversial lawmaker representing a swing seat. He was the subject of multiple House investigations over battery and sexual harassment allegations, but was ultimately cleared for lack of evidence.
Báez-Geller’s candidacy in HD 106 also confirms that she will not challenge Salazar, a target of national Democrats, in the 2026 election.
