Homestead mayor’s win is victory for Dade Dems, too

“Jeff Porter’s Win is Big Victory for Miami-Dade Democrats,” shouted the headline on a press release sent Wednesday.

“The Miami-Dade Democratic Party is proud to have led the ground effort, knocking on nearly 5,000 doors, increasing Democratic turnout and educating voters about Jeff’s record as a public servant,” said Miami-Dade Democratic Party chair Annette Taddeo, who doesn’t mince words about getting involved in a non-partisan race.

“Electing strong Democrats at ALL levels is at the heart of our mission, and Jeff’s hard-won victory sets the stage in a very promising way for critical races next year,” Taddeo said.

Like Lynda Bell’s re-election. Democrat Party leaders are said to be heavily courting candidates, meeting with activist social services leader Daniella Levine this very week to gauge her electability.

While the commission vice chair has a nice $176,000 campaign treasure chest already built up, Taddeo told Ladra Wednesday that the Homestead election — where Bell outspent Porter four to one — proved money is not always the deciding factor.

Porter said Tuesday night as he celebrated his victory that he was “overwhelmed” by the support he received from the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. How much you want to bet we see more municipal candidates seeking such support?

Ground operations led by Miami-Dade Dems Field Director Steve Jackson were reinforced with phone banks and a mail piece that showed the Bells with Florida Gov. Rick Scott, which is one way to get Democrats motivated. Taddeo said that the efforts resulted in “a decisive victory that demonstrates that Lynda and Mark Bell’s Tea Party orientation and their cozy relationship with special interests is not what Homestead voters are looking for.”

But make no bones about it, Dade Dems are not limiting themselves to Homestead — or even Dade, for that matter. They are spreading their wings to keep the momentum they built last year and that means involvement in non partisan races like this one and April’s Coral Gables commission bid by Ross Hancock as well as partisan contests like newly-elected State Rep. Amanda Murphy’s in district 36 — more than 300 miles away.

They are also heavily recruiting for state races in 2014 — especially against State Reps. Erik Fresen (R-Coral Gables) and Holly Raschien (R-Key Largo) — and are not wasting time trying to build on Tuesday’s seemingly small victory.

“THIS is how we build a blue Florida: from the bottom up,” says the pitch for contributions the group sent within 24 hours of Porter’s win “to help elect more democrats in Miami-Dade.”