Politics: Garcia: Ready for Change, Ready for Real Reform

Luis Garcia, Jr., Florida House representative and former Miami Beach commissioner, qualified for a Nov. 6 runoff with incumbent District 5 County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro. He issued this statement to the SunPost on Wednesday:

I am humbled by the support of the voters in District 5 and thankful for the diligence of the Miami-Dade Elections Department canvassing board. While my opponent made every attempt to avoid a run-off, his efforts to have questionable absentee ballots approved by the board were unsuccessful.

Our campaign will work tirelessly to gain the support of voters with integrity. In this past election, we discovered that there were dozens of absentee ballots tainted by the influence of my opponent’s volunteers and county staff. Moving forward, my campaign has made a commitment to protect voters from coercion and intimidation. We will not hesitate to report any discrepancies in the electoral process to federal authorities.

District 5 is ready for a change and, just like the entire county, is ready for real reform. I am prepared to pressure the Commission so that commissioners can be term limited. I am prepared to pressure the Commission to eliminate the $800,000 “slush fund” that some, like my opponent, use to ensure their re-election. I am prepared to reduce wasteful spending by eliminating the duplication of services within our police and fire departments. I am prepared to lead and serve my neighbors in District 5.

Category: CITY, POLITICS