Cuban-American Eric Díaz-Padrón, 23, becomes youngest Commissioner in Miami-Dade

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Eric Diaz-Padron is sworn-in by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa as the City of West Miami’s newest Commissioner.

The City of West Miami is perhaps best-known as US Senator Marco Rubio’s hometown, the place where he first entered elected office as a member of the City’s Commission in 1998. The cozy community spans less than three-fourths of a square mile, is situated between the City of Miami and Coral Gables, and is home to approximately 9,000 residents.

After being appointed unanimously, at age 23, West Miami native Eric Díaz-Padrón, has not only become the youngest Commissioner in the City’s history, but is also the youngest elected official in Miami-Dade County.

Díaz-Padrón has become a staple in local politics, having interned for Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, having been elected as a Committeeman on the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee with 51% of the vote, and subsequently serving on the Miami-Dade Millennial Task Force, West Miami Charter Review Board, and the Miami-Dade Transportation Trust.

He attended Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, is a graduate of Florida International University, and is currently in his second year at the University of Miami School of Law. Díaz-Padrón is an insurance professional and is particularly passionate about the plight for Human Rights and democracy in Cuba and Venezuela.

¡Suerte y éxitos, Eric!

Miami Republicans Score Big With Women Candidates

It’s a story a Democrat will never want to hear: Leading women candidates are all Republican cubanoamericanas.

Rey Anthony in Medium:

Miami Republicans Score Big with Women Candidates

A record number of Republican women are running for office in Miami-Dade

This election cycle, a record number of legislative seats will be contested by Republican women candidates in Miami-Dade: State House districts 105, 112, 115, and 119, State Senate District 40, and Florida’s 27th Congressional District.

This is appropriate as many of Miami’s most successful elected officials are Cuban-American Republican women who have long careers of winning with large margins by crafting well-known independent-minded records of service. They include trailblazers such as: Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, School Board Member Marta Pérez, and Miami-Dade County Commission Chair emeritus Rebeca Sosa.

In this mold, Republicans scored a major recruit in Miami-Dade College Trustee Marili Cancio to take back Senate District 40 from incumbent Taddeo. Born in Miami to Cuban exiles, Cancio, 52, is an attorney, businesswoman, mother, grandmother, community leader, and regular media contributor who is well-regarded among community circles for her steadfast support of local causes. Cancio was appointed by Governor Scott to the Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding and is a vocal advocate for Human Rights and democracy movements across the Americas.

“Marili Cancio is brilliant! She has all the qualifications and we are excited that she is running!” said longtime Miami-Dade Republican State Committeewoman Liliana Ros who is optimistic about Cancio’s chances at winning the seat for the GOP. “This is not only about the Republican Party, this is about the community as a whole” added Ros “We definitely need many more intelligent hard-working women like Marili in public office!”.

Continue reading HERE.

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