Latino Victory Fund endorses Democratic candidate D'Onofrio for Florida HD 102

Jayden D'Onofrio, the Democratic candidate for House District 102 in Florida, has gained another significant national-level endorsement. The organization Latino Victory Fund officially announced their support for D'Onofrio, describing him as a next-generation candidate. This endorsement has provided a major boost to the election campaign to become the representative for the city of Davie. Throughout his campaign, D'Onofrio has pledged to focus particularly on the issues of young voters and working families. The organization's leaders stated they believe he will be a highly effective and successful member in the Florida House of Representatives.

Katharine Pichardo, President and CEO of Latino Victory Fund, praised D'Onofrio in a written statement. Pichardo emphasized that the candidate places great importance on critical issues such as housing affordability, quality public schools, and accessible healthcare. Furthermore, she stated that these issues directly affect the well-being of the entire state's population, not just a specific group. Pichardo added that thanks to these priorities, D'Onofrio presents a leadership profile capable of overcoming the state's trust crisis. At the end of her endorsement statement, she expressed her hope that he will serve as an extraordinary member in Florida's legislature.

D'Onofrio also responded, stating that he felt deeply honored by this endorsement. The young candidate, who noted that he is a proud Puerto Rican, stated that it is essential for the Latino population to have real political power in Florida. Advocating that the opportunities offered by Florida must be equally accessible to everyone, D'Onofrio demanded the urgent resolution of the state's current economic crises. Additionally, he added that corruption within the state government in Tallahassee must be cleaned up and the crumbling public education system must be restructured. He expressed that these goals are imperative to achieve an inclusive future that encompasses all segments of the state.

This latest endorsement is just one part of the broad range of support D'Onofrio has gathered within the party and local governments in recent months. Throughout his candidacy process, he has secured the backing of Democratic Senate Leader Lori Berman, as well as Senators Shevrin Jones, Rosalind Osgood, Tina Scott Polsky, and Barbara Sharief. Furthermore, council members such as Rita Harris, Rob Long, Kelly Skidmore, and Rashon Young, along with Plantation Mayor Nick Sortal, have fully supported his campaign. D'Onofrio's continued role as president of the organization Florida Future Leaders, which he founded, helps strengthen his political network and vision. In the Democratic primary, he will run against Mike Friend, who has secured the backing of a former legislative member.

The HD 102 district, where the election race is heating up, encompasses the Plantation, Davie, Cooper City, Southwest Ranches, Sunrise, and Pembroke Pines areas. Mike Friend, his opponent in the Democratic primary, holds the endorsement of the term-limited current Democratic Representative Mike Gottlieb. On the other hand, the Republican side is not idle; figures such as Mery Lopez-Palma and Jason Paul Smith have announced they will run in the elections, increasing the competition. In the 2024 elections, it is known that Gottlieb defeated Republican candidate Lopez-Palma by a margin of approximately 7 points. While the primaries, where the parties will determine their candidates, will be held on 18 August, the general elections, where the major clash will occur, will take place on 3 November.