Statement of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus on the 2022 General Election Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 9, 2022

STATEMENT OF THE FLORIDA LGBTQ+ DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS ON THE 2022 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS

The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus congratulates all our candidates who ran on common sense positions of equality and nondiscrimination, access to abortion and healthcare, economic policies that protect Florida’s families, and the preservation of democracy. The 2022 election provided an opportunity to highlight what’s at stake for Floridians.

“Democrats are the party of the real Florida,” said Stephen Gaskill, president of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus. “Our candidates laid out their visions for the future of our state and for the country. We congratulate all those who ran, regardless of the outcome of their elections. We especially congratulate those who stood up for the LGBTQ+ community and made equality a central focus of their message. The 2022 election is over, but we are looking ahead to continuing our fight for a Florida for all.”

Congratulations to Val Demings and Charlie Crist for representing the values of Floridians. It is unfortunate that too many voters were swayed by the disingenuous campaign messaging of Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis, two politicians whose focus is on their own ambitions rather than the needs of our state.

We also congratulate our newest Democratic Members of Congress, Rep.-Elect Jared Moskowitz and Rep.-Elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost. Their presence in the Florida Congressional delegation brings new voices and visions for what Florida can become.

The LGBTQ+ Caucus in Tallahassee survives with the reelections of Sen. Shevrin Jones and Rep. Michele Rayner. Together, they will represent our community and be the frontline firewall for the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation we know the Republicans are planning. We will miss the voice of our champion Carlos Guillermo Smith, who faced an onslaught of special interest spending that he fought hard to overcome.

“The Republicans will once again attempt to marginalize our community and use LGBTQ+ discrimination as a messaging opportunity to advance the DeSantis presidential run,” Gaskill said. “Despite the results in individual races, Floridians overwhelmingly support the LGBTQ+ community in our ongoing fight for equality.”

With chapters in 25 counties across the state, the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus is among the most active organizations in the Florida Democratic Party. This cycle our chapters worked directly with candidates and campaigns, hosted fundraisers, events and rallies, canvassed and made phone calls, and were a visible and active presence on the campaign trail. The volunteers in our LGBTQ+ Get Out The Vote Center in Wilton Manors sent more than 5,000 GOTV postcards and operated a text banking operation that generated more than 200,000 GOTV texts to voters around Florida. The Center hosted rallies and events featuring Val Demings, Charlie Crist, Karla Hernandez, Aramis Ayala, Adam Hattersley, Lauren Book, Jason Pizzo, Dean Trantalis, and countless other candidates and elected officials.

“The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus will continue our organizing, outreach, and mobilization efforts as we head into the next election cycle,” Gaskill said. “We are not deterred by yesterday’s results.”

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The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus represents lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Floridians to the Florida Democratic Party. The Caucus is a statewide organization with chapters in 25 counties across Florida from Pensacola to Orlando to Miami – including most major metropolitan areas and many rural counties in between.