Broward County Caribbean American Primary Election Voters’ Guide -August 2018
BROWARD COUNTY – Since 2000, a group of concerned Caribbean-Americans in South Florida, has developed Voters’ Guides to help you 1) select the better candidates who may promote the interests of Caribbean-American people in South Florida, and 2) provide guidance on constitutional ballot amendments.
We have watched various political news programs, read local and national newspapers, attended town hall meetings, and consulted with non-partisan advocacy organizations and local community leaders.
We have assessed the candidates based on their positions on a variety of issues, including, but not limited to, the economy, education, the American justice system, civil rights, immigration, healthcare, social services, affirmative action, economic opportunity, 2nd amendment, among others.
PLEASE NOTE THAT NONE OF THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS SHOULD SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR OWN EVALUATION AND RESEARCH BASED ON YOUR OWN PERSONAL INTERESTS AND VALUES. For more information, call 954 454 7473.
DEDICATION
These 2018 Primary Election Voters’ Guides are dedicated to all the African Americans who were legally and illegally barred from voting in ANY election.
Although few of those cases were documented, here is one such case. In the 1950s, the father of Otis Moss Jr was a Georgia sharecropper. On election day, he put on his best suit—the one he wore to weddings and funerals and walked 6 miles to the polling station. There he was sent to a second polling station—6 miles away. On arrival at the second polling station, he was again directed to a third polling station. So he walked an additional 6 miles. When he arrived at the third polling station, after walking a total of 18 miles on that election day, he was told “Boy, this polling station is closed”. Broken hearted at having walked 18 miles and that he had not been able to vote, he walked home, and vowed to try to vote at the next election. Sadly, he passed away died before the next election.
Vote in this primary election in honor of the sacrifice that the father of Otis Moss and thousands of African Americans made so that we could vote.
Why Bother To Vote In Primary Elections?
The candidates for judges, school board members, county and state legislators in this primary election, if successful, will be making decisions, establishing policies and/or passing legislation and budgets for expenditures of tax dollars which intimately affect our daily lives. If you pay taxes, you can vote to ensure that your tax dollars will promote your interests.
These Voters’ Guides are presented for Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, and by political affiliation—Democrat or Republican. To find your ballot recommendations, identify your county and political affiliation.
To check your voter status, request your vote by mail ballot by August 22 or general voter information, please call your respective County Supervisor of Elections:
Miami Dade County: 305-499-8683
Broward County: 954-357-7050
Palm Beach County: 561-656-6200
BROWARD COUNTY DEMOCRATIC BALLOT RECOMMENDATIONS
District 20: Alcee L. Hastings
District 22: Ted Deutch
Governor: Andrew D. Gillum
Attorney General: Sean Michael Shaw
Commissioner of Agriculture: Nikki Fried
State Senator (D34): Gary Farmer
State House (D92): Patricia Hawkins-Williams
State House (D96): Kristin Jacobs
State House (D97): Jared Moscowitz
State House (D98): Michael Gottlieb
State House (D103): Cindy Polo
State House (D105): Javier Estevez
County Commission
(D2): Mark Bogen
(D6): Beam Furr
17th Judicial Circuit (all voters elect judicial candidates)
Group 8: Ernest Albert Kollra
Group 36: Kristin Weisberg Padowitz
Group 38: Stefanie Moon
Group 39: Camille Coolidge-Shotwell
Group 42: Michael Usan
Group 43: Karen Elizabeth Berger
Group 46: H. James Curry
COUNTY COURT
Group 9: Tanner Channing Demmery
Group 10: Robert F. “Bob” Diaz
Group 17: Rhonda Sokoloff
Group 19: Jackie Powell
Group 25: Robert Lee
School Board
(D1): Jim Silvernale
(D4): Tenille Doe Decoste
(D6): Laurie Levinson
(D7): Mike Olbel
(D8): Donna Pilger Korn
Funding Security and essential instruction related expenses of schools through ½ mill property tax levy: YES