Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones speaks during a press conference at the SEIU 1991 on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Miami, Fla. The event was held ahead of Donald Trump’s trip to Hialeah and the third GOP Primary Debate on Wednesday.
mocner@miamiherald.com
Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones will run for Miami-Dade Democratic Party chairman.
Jones, a Miami Gardens Democrat and rising star in Florida politics, is the first and only person to step up so far to succeed former Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chairman Robert Dempster, who was removed from the post last month for violating state party rules and bylaws.
In a statement to the Miami Herald, Jones said that he is “committed to learning from past mistakes,” and stressed the need for the county party to register new voters in a one-time Democratic stronghold that has shifted rightward in recent years.
“We’ve seen what happens when we don’t invest in robust, focused outreach and take communities for granted,” said Jones, who’s seen as a potential gubernatorial hopeful in 2026. “It’s clear this moment calls for a reset for our Miami-Dade County party, so that we can re-elect Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to finish the job.”
Miami-Dade Democrats are expected to meet on April 26 to elect their next chair. Installing Jones in the position would put a close ally of President Joe Biden at the helm of the state’s largest county Democratic Party.
He currently serves on the Biden campaign’s national advisory board and, just last month, he traveled to Milwaukee to speak at a local Democratic Party gala on the president’s behalf.
Jones’ bid for Miami-Dade Democratic Party chair already has the support of some of the county’s most prominent Democrats, including Levine Cava and U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson. Dempster, the former chairman who was ousted last month, is also backing Jones, according to the state senator’s campaign.
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried suspended Dempster from his position in February, citing repeated violations of state party rules, like keeping an outdated membership list. The state party’s central committee voted last month to permanently remove him from the job.
Dempster’s eventual successor will have quite a bit of work to do. While there are still nearly 70,000 more active registered Democratic voters in Miami-Dade than there are Republicans, the GOP has made gains in recent years, most notably with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ roughly 80,000-vote win in the county in 2022.