May 1, 2020

We asked one hundred leaders statewide and nationally who are the top seven Democratic Latina and Latino strategists and communicators in Florida. We received a total of eighty-nine names. Seventy percent of those invited to participate are Latino leaders who know our communities. Twenty percent are non-latinos, yet Latinos at heart. Also, take note that some who were selected are doing national work and continue to be involved in Florida, even though they may live in D.C.

To ask for seven top names in Florida, and to receive such an impactful list, is to realize that we can make such a significant difference in any effort brought before us. Why? Because we know our “gente” (people). We continuously listen to those who show us their concern for what happens to them here. We also feel their pain when we see their worry for their family, who still lives in Latin America, the Caribbean, or Spain. We feel their pain because we also have family there too. We are culturally sensitive because our families have sometimes been built on a combination of these subcultures.

Often we receive people (many are wonderful) from other states that want to start a relationship with our Latino communities, usually awfully close to an election. The times we have reached our goal is when we do not begin our connections from zero, and we place individuals in positions of leadership who already have a relationship with our communities for years (even decades).

“Ojo” (0H-Ho) means “eye” in Spanish. “Ojo” also means: Watch out. So, ¡Ojo! Hiring those with years of connections to the Latino community has always been the advantage point of the Republican Party. The way the “Trumpistas” (Trump team) roll is as follows:

People who make the GOP machine move and who are convincing Latinos to vote for Trump are all local Bilingual Latino strategists. They do not change every two to four years; they just add more talent. Some fresh talent are political consultants who recently came from Latin America, speak fluent Spanish, and who now live here. They know the importance of these “surrogates” speaking with different accents. These Latino strategists have spent years building the groundwork in this state based on people who trust them. When anything happens, the Trump Latino team can immediately create a bilingual army and a Rapid Response Team in seconds, in English and Spanish.

We can do the same with our team, and possibly even better if we connect all the pieces of the bicycle to make it win the race. The goal of placing these names together is to let the nation know that in Florida, we do exist. In simple words, “We are mas” (We are more), more than you can imagine, and we can help. Especially in a state like Florida where it is won, or lost by 1%. We can make a difference in that 1%.

Here are the eighty-nine names

Top Latina y Latino Estrategas y Comunicadores Demócratas

Forty-nine women in alphabetical order:

Liz Alarcon

Sheyla Asencios

Lauren Calmet

Maruxa Cardenas

MaCa Casado

Johanna Cervone

Frances Colon

Zoe Colon

Ana Cruz

Janet Cruz

Lourdes Diaz

Kimberly Diaz Scott

Daniela Fernandez

Ida Eskamani

Krístellys Estanga

Alma Gonzalez

Rosy Gonzalez Speers

Cynthia Hernandez

Millie Herrera

Natalia Jaramillo

Laura Jimenez

Mayra Macias

Daniela Martins

Jenny Lee Molina

Amy Mercado

Andrea Mercado

Iza Montalvo

Debbie Mucarsel Powell

Natascha Otero-Santiago

Luisana Perez

Evelyn Pérez-Verdía

Vivian Piereschi

Helena Poleo

Cindy Polo

Millie Raphael

María Revelles

Cristina Robinson

Lorena Rivas Hardwick

Adriana Rivera

Maria Rodriguez

Vivian Rodriguez

Marisol Samayoa

Irene Secada

Annette Taddeo

Melissa Taveras

Carmen Torres

Charo Valero

Natalia Vanegas

Lisa Zayas

Forty men in alphabetical order:

Tomas Alcala

Fernand Amandi

Freddy Balsera

Alex Barrio

Franco Caliz

Juan Cuba

Mario Decunto

Manny Diaz

Victor DiMaio

Juan Escalante

Eduardo Gamarra

Joe Garcia

Elbert Garcia

Juan Gonzalez

Felice Gorordo

Michael Hernandez

Ric Herrero

Alex Howard

Philip Jerez

Robert Julien

Thomas Kennedy

Tomas Kloosterman

Jose Marantes

Leopoldo Martinez

Raul Martinez

Eleazar Melendez

Jorge Mursuli

Carlos Odio

Maurizio Passariello

Francisco Pelayo

Damian Perez

Juan Peñalosa

Dan Restrepo

Darren Soto

Frank Mora

Kevin Muñoz

Milton Vázquez

Cramer Verde

Marcos Vilar

Christian Ulvert

For those who are on this list, and would like to participate, we would like to put together the “We Are Mas” guide of the Top Latino and Latina Democratic Strategists and Communicators in Florida. Also, many on the list do not know that they were selected. Please do share with them.

If you could please, keep track of the work you are doing this year for our communities. Our communities will be keeping track also. Around this same time this year (hopefully in person) we will be giving several awards at the “We Are Mas” ceremony.

If you can kindly send:

 • You picture

 • Bio (please include if your area of expertise)

 • Contact information

 • Please tell us in a paragraph what made you decide to become a Democrat

 • What city do you live in?

 • Do you work locally, statewide or nationally?

 • What languages do you feel confident speaking if media were to contact you?

 • Family origin? (This is to show how diverse our group is in Florida)

 • Are you 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th generation Latino living in the United States? 

 • Do you consider yourself Hispanic, Latino/Latina or Latinx?

 • How do you think we can win the Latino vote in Florida in 2020? Note: This will go separately to leadership within the party.

Everything should fit into one page. Please send this information to politicalpasion@outlook.com by Friday, May 8, 2020.

For those who are not on the list, we look forward to asking the question again in 2021. And, if you prefer to not be on the list, please do let us know.

¡Gracias!