Politics

Unshakable — Lincoln Díaz-Balart’s life of challenge, triumph and unwavering service

Published

2 weeks ago

November 19, 2025

Lincoln Díaz-Balart (1954-2025) led a unique life.

Readers of his newly published memoir, “Sketches from A Life,” will probably find it difficult to place him and his politics (he was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2011) within the confines of a clearly defined, predetermined ideological box. Part of this is, without question, attributable to his upbringing and family history, and the exceedingly unique circumstances of his life.

When he was just 4 years old, an event took place that would shape the rest of his life.

Lincoln was in Paris with his parents (my grandparents) and his older brother. Lincoln’s father, Rafael, had traveled to France in late December of 1958 with his young family and his law partner to finalize an important business deal. That deal, were it to come to fruition, would have been a boon to Cuba’s economy.

Rafael had reason to be optimistic as they enjoyed a few days in the French capital. At 32 years old, he had just completed four successful years as Majority Leader of the Cuban House of Representatives. The month prior, he had become the youngest person elected to the Cuban Senate that year. Rafael and his family were received warmly by French officials. His future was bright and extremely promising. Cuba was experiencing significant problems at the time; there can be no doubt. But peaceful, political solutions were within reach, and Rafael – the master negotiator and committed Democrat – was certain to play a key role in charting Cuba’s future.

And then, in an instant, it was all gone.

On the morning of Jan. 1, 1959, my grandparents received word that the unthinkable had occurred. Fulgencio Batista had abandoned Cuba, effectively handing the country over to the ruthless dictator-to-be, Fidel Castro. In an instant, my grandfather became a man without a country for him and his family to call home. Castro’s thugs murdered friends and members of our family, and burned our family home in Havana.

Rafael knew what a future under Castro meant for the Cuban people. They used to be, after all, close friends, and even family by marriage. Rafael knew that his former brother-in-law was a violent psychopath like no one else who had ever governed Cuba, and that Castro would never relinquish power. Rafael understood, right away, that his beloved homeland was lost and doomed to destruction.

Adding to the gravity of the situation, Rafael was virtually alone in this understanding. At that moment, and for the months and years to follow, practically the entire world applauded Castro’s ascension. One can only imagine the solitude and the sorrow.

But then Rafael did what so many heroic Cubans have done throughout the 66 years of brutal tyranny that has plagued Cuba: He began to fight. In January 1959, he moved his family to New York City, convinced that the fight against Castro needed to come from the world’s most important city. There, on Jan. 28, 1959, he founded the first-ever anti-Castro organization: The White Rose.

In the years that followed, rebuilding a life in exile led my grandfather to move his family around so often that Lincoln would attend five different schools during his seventh and eighth grade years alone. Lincoln met my mom in high school at the American School of Madrid, attended the small liberal arts university, New College, in Sarasota (where he was the only Cuban American student and was elected Student Body President), and studied law at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. A college semester studying at Cambridge University profoundly impacted him. Finally, he moved to Miami in 1979 to begin his professional and political career.

Despite his unorthodox upbringing, Lincoln developed something along the way: a profound love for the United States of America.

My father, Lincoln (and, years later, his brother Mario), inherited the torch of service and dedication to democratic principles from their father. Together, the two brothers have carried that torch, fighting to strengthen and protect the United States while also keeping alive Cuba’s right to be free. For eight years, they represented adjacent districts in Congress and collectively have served more than 40 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The events of Jan. 1, 1959, are among countless impactful moments that shaped Lincoln Díaz-Balart. He had a front-row seat to momentous events and characters in history (in 1965, for example, at 10 years old, he met The Beatles in a hotel lobby in Madrid). The result was a truly unique individual and public servant, one to whom traditional political labels have never applied.

Throughout Lincoln’s 18 years in Congress, if you just read about his work in the English-language press, you would have been convinced that he was a “far-right” hard-liner and zealot. Then again, we’re talking about the author of NACARA (1997), the most sweeping immigration legislation passed by the U.S. Congress since 1986. In 1998, together with his colleagues Carrie Meek and Alcee Hastings, Lincoln co-sponsored legislation that gave similar protections to our Haitian neighbors.

His admiration for Ronald Reagan led him to become a Republican in 1985, and he was without question a loyal member of the GOP. But his unique sensibilities also led him – as a freshman Congressman, no less – to refuse to sign his friend Newt Gingrich’s historic Contract with America in 1994 because of a provision that discriminated against legal immigrants in the U.S. (Lincoln had the provision overturned through legislation in 1997).

He was unshakable in his commitment to human rights and steadfast in his opposition to tyrannies worldwide, especially those in our hemisphere. Sanctions against the Cuban dictatorship are enshrined in U.S. law. They can be lifted only after all political prisoners are released and a transition to democracy has taken place, because of his tireless work. While in Congress, he was, without question, Fidel Castro’s most formidable foreign policy foe.

He was also a stalwart supporter of the American worker, one of the few House Republicans to vote against GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).

One of his proudest and most lasting contributions was founding the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) in 2003 together with his brother Mario and his dear friend, former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. The nonprofit continues to thrive as one of the few remaining truly bipartisan organizations in Washington and has presented hundreds of young U.S. Hispanics with often life-changing fellowships.

Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Lincoln’s treasure, and his heart, was in service of others.

The sum of all these unique parts, and many more (as you’ll find in this book), was Lincoln Díaz-Balart.

I thank God every day for the honor of having been his son.

Source link

Politics

Debra Tendrich turns ‘pain into policy’ with sweeping anti-domestic violence proposal

Published

7 hours ago

December 5, 2025

May Greene

Florida could soon rewrite how it responds to domestic violence.

Lake Worth Democratic Rep. Debra Tendrich has filed HB 277, a sweeping proposal aimed at modernizing the state’s domestic violence laws with major reforms to prevention, first responder training, court safeguards, diversion programs and victim safety.

It’s a deeply personal issue to Tendrich, who moved to Florida in 2012 to escape what she has described as a “domestic violence situation,” with only her daughter and a suitcase.

“As a survivor myself, HB 277 is more than legislation; it is my way of turning pain into policy,” she said in a statement, adding that months of roundtables with survivors and first responders “shaped this bill from start to finish.”

Tendrich said that, if passed, HB 277 or its upper-chamber analogue (SB 682) by Miami Republican Sen. Alexis Calatayud would become Florida’s most comprehensive domestic violence initiative, covering prevention, early intervention, criminal accountability and survivor support.

It would require mandatory strangulation and domestic violence training for emergency medical technicians and paramedics, modernize the legal definition of domestic violence, expand the courts’ authority to order GPS monitoring and strengthen body camera requirements during investigations.

The bill also creates a treatment-based diversion pathway for first-time offenders who plead guilty and complete a batterers intervention program, mental-health services and weekly court-monitored progress reporting. Upon successful completion, charges could be dismissed, a measure Tendrich says will reduce recidivism while maintaining accountability.

On the victim-safety side, HB 277 would flag addresses for 12 months after a domestic-violence 911 call to give responders real-time risk awareness. It would also expand access to text-to-911, require pamphlets detailing the medical dangers of strangulation, authorize well-check visits tied to lethality assessments, enhance penalties for repeat offenders and include pets and service animals in injunctions to prevent coercive control and harm.

Calatayud called it “a tremendous honor and privilege” to work with Tendrich on advancing policy changes “that both law enforcement and survivors of domestic abuse or relationship violence believe are meaningful to protect families across our communities.”

“I’m deeply committed to championing these essential reforms,” she added, saying they would make “a life-or-death difference for women and children in Florida.”

Organizations supporting HB 277 say the bill reflects long-needed, practical reform. Palm Beach County firefighters union IAFF Local 2928 said expanded responder training and improved dispatch information “is exactly the kind of frontline-focused reform that saves lives.”

The Florida Police Benevolent Association called HB 277 a “comprehensive set of measures designed to enhance protections” and pledged to help advance it through the Legislature.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund praised provisions protecting pets in domestic violence cases, noting research showing that 89% of women with pets in abusive relationships have had partners threaten or harm their animals — a major barrier that keeps victims from fleeing.

Florida continues to see high levels of domestic violence. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence estimates that 38% of Florida women and 29% of Florida men experience intimate-partner violence in their lifetimes — among the highest rates in the country.

With costs rising statewide, HB 277 also increases relocation assistance through the Crimes Compensation Trust Fund, which advocates say is essential because the current $1,500 cap no longer covers basic expenses for victims fleeing dangerous situations.

Tendrich said survivors who contributed to the bill, which Placida Republican Rep. Danny Nix is co-sponsoring, “finally feel seen.”

“This bill will save lives,” she said. “I am proud that this bill has bipartisan support, and I am even more proud of the survivors whose bravery drives every line of this legislation.”

Source link

Politics

Ash Marwah, Ralph Massullo battle for SD 11 Special Election

Published

7 hours ago

December 5, 2025

May Greene

Even Ash Marwah knows the odds do him no favors.

A Senate district that leans heavily Republican plus a Special Election just weeks before Christmas — Marwah acknowledges it adds up to a likely Tuesday victory for Ralph Massullo.

The Senate District 11 Special Election is Tuesday to fill the void created when Blaise Ingoglia became Chief Financial Officer.

It pits Republican Massullo, a dermatologist and Republican former four-term House member from Lecanto, against Democrat Marwah, a civil engineer from The Villages.

Early voter turnout was light, as would be expected in a low-key standalone Special Election: At 10% or under for Hernando and Pasco counties, 19% in Sumter and 15% in Citrus.

Massullo has eyed this Senate seat since 2022 when he originally planned to leave the House after six years for the SD 11 run. His campaign ended prematurely when Gov. Ron DeSantis backed Ingoglia, leaving Massullo with a final two years in office before term limits ended his House career.

When the SD 11 seat opened up with Ingoglia’s CFO appointment, Massullo jumped in and a host of big-name endorsements followed, including from DeSantis, Ingoglia, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, U.S. Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott, four GOP Congressmen, county Sheriffs in the district, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus is endorsing Marwah.

Marwah ran for HD 52 in 2024, garnering just 24% of the vote against Republican John Temple.

Massullo has raised $249,950 to Marwah’s $12,125. Massullo’s $108,000 in spending includes consulting, events and mail pieces. One of those mail pieces reminded voters there’s an election.

The two opponents had few opportunities for head-to-head debate. The League of Women Voters of Citrus County conducted a SD 11 forum on Zoom in late October, when the two candidates clashed over the state’s direction.

Marwah said DeSantis and Republicans are “playing games” in their attempts to redraw congressional district boundaries.

“No need to go through this expense,” he said. “It will really ruin decades of progress in civil rights. We should honor the rule of law that we agreed on that it’ll be done every 10 years. I’m not sure why the game is being played at this point.”

Massullo said congressional districts should reflect population shifts.

“The people of our state deserve to be adequately represented based on population,” he said. “I personally do not believe we should use race as a means to justify particular areas. I’m one that believes we should be blind to race, blind to creed, blind to sex, in everything that we do, particularly looking at population.”

Senate District 11 covers all of Citrus, Hernando and Sumter counties, plus a portion of northern Pasco County. It is safely Republican — Ingoglia won 69% of the vote there in November, and Donald Trump carried the district by the same margin in 2024.

Source link

Politics

Miles Davis tapped to lead School Board organizing workshop at national LGBTQ conference

Published

8 hours ago

December 5, 2025

May Greene

Miles Davis is taking his Florida-focused organizing playbook to the national stage.

Davis, Policy Director at PRISM Florida and Director of Advocacy and Communications at SAVE, has been selected to present a workshop at the 2026 Creating Change Conference, the largest annual LGBTQ advocacy and movement-building convention.

It’s a major nod to his rising role in Florida’s LGBTQ policy landscape.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, which organizes the conference, announced that Davis will present his session, “School Board Organizing 101.” His proposal rose to the top of more than 550 submissions competing for roughly 140 slots, a press note said, making this year’s conference one of the most competitive program cycles in the event’s history.

His workshop will be scheduled during the Jan. 21-24 gathering in Washington, D.C.

Davis said his selection caps a strong year for PRISM Florida, where he helped shepherd the organization’s first-ever bill (HB 331) into the Legislature. The measure, sponsored by Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart, would restore local oversight over reproductive health and HIV/AIDS instruction, undoing changes enacted under a 2023 expansion to Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics.

Davis’ workshop draws directly from that work and aims to train LGBTQ youth, families and advocates in how local boards operate, how public comment can shape decisions and how communities can mobilize around issues like book access, inclusive classrooms and student safety.

“School boards are where the real battles over student safety, book access, and inclusive classrooms are happening,” Davis said. “I’m honored to bring this training to Creating Change and help our community build the skills to show up, speak out, and win — especially as PRISM advances legislation like HB 331 that returns power to our local communities.”

Davis’ profile has grown in recent years, during which he jumped from working on the campaigns and legislative teams of lawmakers like Hart and Miami Gardens Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones to working in key roles for organizations like America Votes, PRISM and SAVE.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, founded in 1973, is one of the nation’s oldest LGBTQ advocacy organizations. It focuses on advancing civil rights through federal policy work, grassroots engagement and leadership development.