Politics
Claudia Villatoro launches bid to unseat Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Republican Claudia Villatoro thinks Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has failed to deliver for Floridians during her ample time in Congress, and it’s time voters make a change.
Villatoro is running in Florida’s 25th Congressional District to unseat Wasserman Schultz, who has served in Congress for 20 years.
During that time, Wasserman Schultz has sponsored three bills that become law: the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2010, the EARLY Act Reauthorization of 2014 and a resolution last year to study the potential transfer of a museum.
That’s a better rate than South Florida’s senior delegation member, Republican Mario Díaz-Balart, who hasn’t seen a bill he’s been the primary sponsor of become law since 2004. But it’s still insufficient, according to Villatoro, a former commodities broker who said Wasserman Schultz has instead prioritized “open borders,” enriching herself through “insider trading” and orchestrating “rigged elections for Hillary Clinton.”
Notably, Wasserman Schultz does not advocate for “open borders” and has instead advocated for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that combines a formal, legal immigration process and border security with a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the U.S.
There is also no public evidence that Wasserman Schultz “enriched herself” through insider trading. Like many members of Congress, she trades individual stocks and periodically files required STOCK Act disclosures. She has, however, been cited by watchdogs and media for late disclosures — a reporting violation — including this past July, when she was found to have violated the STOCK Act for a fourth time.
As for “rigged elections,” leaks from internal messages at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 — which Wasserman Schultz chaired at the time — revealed favoritism for Clinton over presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The violation of DNC’s neutrality norms prompted Wasserman Schultz to resign as Chair that year, and the DNC apologized to Sanders, whom many today still believe would have beaten Clinton in an unbiased Primary.
“Time to wash away Debbie Wasserman Schultz and her failed politics. Florida deserves fresh leadership. That’s why I’m running for Congress,” Villatoro says in a 90-second campaign launch video.
The video features heavy use of glass-related terms and imagery, a handheld pressure washer and photos of President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis.
“I am an entrepreneur and philanthropist, an immigrant who followed the rules. Running a glass company taught me to always be crystal clear, fully transparent and as strong as steel,” Villatoro adds.
“I’ve broken glass ceilings, campaigned tirelessly for justice and freedom and fought child trafficking around the world. I’ve stood with President Trump to secure our borders and keep America strong. South Florida needs leaders who will listen to you and never crack under pressure. I’m Claudia Villatoro, and the choice is clear. It’s time to clean up Congress.”
Villatoro, 57, was born in Guatemala and immigrated legally to the U.S. in 1994. After working for years in the glass industry, she launched her first company in 2002 and “grew it into several successful ventures across Florida, New Mexico, and California,” according to her campaign, which said President George W. Bush recognized her as “Businesswoman of the Year” in 2003.
Around that same time, she landed a federal contract with White Sands Missile Range.
In 2009, after the Great Recession hit, Villatoro joined the Chicago Board of Trade, where she remained a member until 2020.
The following year, she founded the nonprofit Villatoro’s Global Foundation, which her campaign website says is “dedicated to fighting child trafficking, malnutrition, and water insecurity.”
The organization launched in St. Petersburg and later relocated to Hollywood, where Villatoro ran unsuccessfully for City Commission last year. The organization is not rated by Charity Navigator or GuideStar.
This past May, the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of Villatoro’s Global Foundation after it failed to file proper documentation for three straight years. A ProPublica analysis of the organization’s books indicates it has no revenue, expenses, assets or liabilities.
Villatoro is running on a promise to lower the cost of living, secure the southern border while supporting legal immigration, empower small businesses and entrepreneurs, and protect children from crime and trafficking.
She also vows to support American energy independence, defend constitutional freedoms and “reject the socialist policies she and her family fled in Latin America.”
Neither Villatoro’s campaign launch video nor press release mentioned reporting on how the Trump family has made billions in cryptocurrency ventures or how the President recently pardoned crypto tycoon Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty in 2023 for failing to combat money laundering tied to terrorism and child abuse.
Zhao’s company, Binance, was financially involved with crypto platform World Liberty Financial, which sends 75% of token sales revenue to a Trump-linked company.
Trump claimed in a new “60 Minutes” interview to have “no idea” who Zhao is.
In 2024, Villatoro donated $5,000 to Joyce Bryan’s Broward County School Board campaign, $2,500 to the Republican Party of Florida and $1,000 to Chris Eddy, who challenged Wasserman Schultz last cycle.
She also gave $500 to George Navarini, a perennial candidate for the Florida House.
She is one of two Republicans running now to supplant Wasserman Schultz, who beat Eddy in November by 9 percentage points. The other is Michael Carbonara, a 42-year-old fintech executive who raised nearly $900,000 in crypto last quarter.
Last week, Florida Bulldog reported on three ongoing lawsuits filed against Carbonara or his company.
One filed in Miami involves the alleged sexual assault and abuse of an employee in Singapore by a co-owner of Carbonara’s company, Ibanera. Another in Miami centers on claims that Ibanera failed to transmit at least $18 million in fiat and crypto funds to a Bahamian bank.
The third, filed in Michigan, revolves around a bitcoin mining operation linked to Carbonara that allegedly created excessive noise, prompting residents to complain and the Judge presiding over the case to temporarily shut the facility down.
Wasserman Schultz has raised about $1.25 million this cycle and has $1.62 million in cash on hand.
CD 25 covers the southernmost portion of Broward County, including Davie, Hollywood, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Weston and parts of Plantation. The district has a D+5 partisan voting index, according to Cook Partisan Voting — a composition Villatoro’s campaign says puts the seat long held by Wasserman Shultz, 59, “firmly in play for Republicans.”
St. Petersburg will reappraise 86 acres of prime real estate, currently home to Tropicana Field, but not before selecting a new redevelopment proposal.
Some City Council members expressed dismay over the timeline on Thursday. The most recent valuation is over two years old, and Mayor Ken Welch announced plans to advance the proposal process in October.
Welch will delay the 30-day submission window’s launch until Jan. 4. However, in a memo sent to the Council on Wednesday, he doubled down on his decision not to reissue a formal request for proposals (RFP) – the genesis for the subsequent debate.
“To be really blunt, I think if we’re going to be serious about this, start counting votes now,” Council member Gina Driscoll said to the administration.
“If I’m not comfortable with the process, I’m probably not going to be comfortable with the proposal that’s brought before us to vote on.”
She and multiple colleagues believe the city should have conducted a new appraisal in the time between the Tampa Bay Rays, now under new ownership, exiting a new stadium deal in March, and Welch’s Oct. 21 announcement that he would welcome additional proposals in mid-November.
Officials received an unsolicited $6.8 billion bid Oct. 3 from a group led by ARK Investment Management and Ellison Development. The city is acting pursuant to a state statute that mandates a 30-day window before selling property in a community redevelopment area (CRA).
Council member Lisset Hanewicz said an appraisal typically occurs before making a deal, “not after the fact.” City Development Administrator James Corbett noted that St. Petersburg spent two years negotiating redevelopment agreements with the Rays.
“I’m not going to wait for the appraisal until after we start negotiating a deal,” Corbett added. “It will be before that. I also want to time the appraisal where it’s not too dated.”
Council member Brandi Gabbard said several constituents have expressed concerns over the site’s unknown valuation. Ark Ellison Horus will pay the city “at least” $202 million for 94.5 acres.
The group believes its $2.1 million per-acre offer reflects the project’s “premier location and transformative potential.” The Rays planned to purchase 65 acres for $105 million – $1.6 million per acre – and offered $50 million in community benefits.
Gabbard is among those who want a formal RFP process and additional time. She also reminded her colleagues that they approved her Oct. 16 request for a Committee discussion on hiring the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to conduct an unbiased, professional study on the Gas Plant’s best uses.
Welch wrote that reissuing an RFP is neither necessary nor beneficial since the project’s 23 guiding principles, established in 2022 and “confirmed by subsequent community convenings,” remain unchanged. He also noted that developers previously had 60 days from the time of his announcement to submit proposals, and now have 105.
“I don’t understand this rush for a win right now,” Gabbard said.
Council member Mike Harting is “good” with not reissuing an RFP. He also credited Council member Richie Floyd for requesting additional time, and Welch for acquiescing.
Municipalities prioritize the “greater good” over profits, Harting continued, and the generational project will exponentially increase property tax collections. However, those benefits are hard to quantify.
“We’re not going to sell the property for what it’s valued at,” Harting said. “We’re going to sell it for less … And I get that, but I want to be comfortable with the logic … and what that looks like for the city.”
Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders said she thinks about “that little girl whose church was totally destroyed” when the city displaced thousands of Black residents in the 1980s to build the stadium. She took issue with people who call the process rushed or believe officials should maximize their financial return.
“I can’t stand when people want to make decisions for other people like that – what’s best for other people?” Figgs-Sanders said. “I can’t place value on letting some of the descendants of the Gas Plant area finally see something done.”
She also questioned whether the ULI study would include locals who understand the area’s history and importance. No one understands the property’s worth better than the people who once called the Gas Plant home, Figgs-Sanders added.
Gabbard said the ULI group could include experts from throughout the region – the organization has a Tampa office – the state or beyond. Community partners would work with people who “understand very complex projects.”
Corbett said the city would launch its community benefits process once officials and the selected developer establish a term sheet. Welch wrote that jobs, housing, equitable economic development, resilience, green space and “meaningful recognition” of the Gas Plant community remain atop the priority list.
“The only material change from those principles is that the inclusion of a new stadium for the Tampa Rays, in partnership with Pinellas County, is no longer instrumental in planning the redevelopment,” states his memo. “Our unified work to include the Tampa Bay Rays in the long-term vision of the Historic Gas plant, and their subsequent abdication, have provided more clarity for our city and the property.”
Welch said he would no longer support offering Intown CRA tax-increment financing to help fund the project. “Any reconsideration by the new owners … regarding a future new stadium development would require other funding sources.”
Floyd withdrew his resolution that, if approved Thursday, would have urged Welch to launch a formal RFP and extend the submission deadline. However, he said it would be “harder” to approve a proposal while disagreeing with the process.
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Mark Parker reports via St. Pete Catalyst; republished with permission.
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