Susan Valdés delivers heartwarming farewell as a Republican to the chamber she entered as a Democrat

Rep. Susan Valdés delivered her farewell address with a little something extra: poetry.

The Democrat-turned-Republican offered a sing-songy trip down memory lane, chronicling her work over the past eight years on education priorities and on behalf of incarcerated individuals.

“The gavel falls, the Session ends, the sun begins to set. Years of work and memories I will never forget,” she began, setting the tone through a nearly 15-minute speech that saw her choke up on several occasions.

Valdés touted one particular point of pride: her work ending Florida’s practice of giving certificates of completion to students who didn’t otherwise meet the requirements for a standard high school diploma, including to students with disabilities.

Critics had argued that removing that option would negatively impact students who already faced higher unemployment rates. But Valdés at times referred to the certificates as “participation trophies” and argued getting rid of them would help students achieve more meaningful goals.

“You see, they were given a certificate of completion, which holds no value and no chances for a bright future. Hence why I decided to venture to the Florida House in hopes of becoming their suture,” Valdés said in her farewell remarks Monday.

She said through that legislation, the state traded certificates “for diplomas so that every child could fly.”

Valdés also touted work on behalf of Floridians with autism. This year, she sponsored legislation (HB 365) to establish a statewide “blue envelope” program and require additional law enforcement training to improve police interactions with motorists on the autism spectrum. A similar Senate bill (SB 418) has already cleared the upper chamber, and Valdés’ bill is awaiting second reading in the House, meaning the legislation meets House Speaker Daniel Perez’s to be heard before the hankie drops.

“And for our friends with autism, I’ve used my voice to speak,” Valdés said in a nod to the Autism Speaks organization, “to be a surrogate for the voiceless, to ensure their rights are known, because in the land of liberty, no soul should stand alone.”

Also this year, Valdés is sponsoring legislation (HB 889) to establish an Office of Corrections Ombudsman to enhance accountability in Florida prisons aimed at improving conditions and investigating complaints. That measure, however, is less likely to pass this year. While Valdés’ bill awaits a floor vote, a Senate counterpart (SB 1160) has not been heard.

“My mission reached beyond the school to the places so dark and cold, to the least of these among us whose stories go untold. I stood for those in prison cells where shadows hide their pain, demanding that the rule of law wash out the brutal stain, for a state is judged by how it treats the captive and the weak,” she said in her farewell.

But while Valdés touted some of her impactful work, she spent much of her mostly rhyming speech delivering shoutouts to friends, family and colleagues.

Drawing a standing ovation, Valdés gushed about her husband, Jerry.

“Thank you for having my back and supporting me throughout, and for sharing me these last 22 years with the community I live in, love, and care deeply about. Through all of the ups and downs, we were always fated. You are my soulmate, and I love you and the family that we created,” she said.

She also then offered thanks — and apologies for the extended absences her job in the Legislature created — to her large family, including her children, Mallory, Alexander and Jean Luc.

“You will always be my little ones, the three who stole my heart completely.”

To her grandchildren, Valdés gushed that they were “the apples of my eye” who make her “heart explode with pride, joy and love.” Valdés said they make her “want to work harder” to help them “reach for the sky.”

She also offered shoutouts to her nieces and nephews and gave an impassioned thanks to her older brother, a Vietnam veteran.

In a heartwarming moment, Valdés honored her late father, who passed away when she was just 10 years old.

“His voice remains the constant and the compass that guides me every day. Whether riches come or go or the world forgets your face, your word is your true signature that time cannot erase,” she said.

Valdés also thanked her current legislative aides, as well as those who previously served her, and legislative staff serving the entire chamber, from janitorial staff to bill drafters.

She also paid particular attention to the House Speaker, tearing up as she offered her thanks for his leadership.

“I am so proud of you and all you stand for, and claiming our place in this Florida House, reminding us of who we are in this space and the three branches of government’s role in this space,” she said. “Thank you, sir, for your courage and your speakership. Thank you for your trust and your confidence in me to be the Vice Chair of the budget, where you gave me room to lead.”

Perez returned the praise after Valdés concluded her remarks, sharing a story about being in a car and spotting Valdés.

“We got to a stoplight, we looked to our right, and it was you. You were in your car by yourself. I would have thought you were in the middle of a concert. You were drumming on the steering wheel. You were smiling from ear to ear. And we just said, ‘That is one happy woman,’” he shared.

Notably absent from Valdés’ speech though was reference to her party swap. Valdés entered the House as a Democrat and served most of her tenure, including all of her elections, as a member of the minority party. She left the Democratic Party shortly after her final re-election in 2024.

Perez hinted at that swap in his brief remarks.

“You have had a unique and memorable road throughout the last eight years,” he said.

Valdés didn’t say what comes next in her political career, but said she’s “trading my voting button for a brand-new mission that is promised in Scripture.”