TALLAHASSEE — State Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat who’s become an icon among the left-wing core of the party amid buzz about her running for governor in 2022, is breaking an unwritten rule and endorsing three challengers to fellow Democratic House incumbents.
She says she’s doing it not as part of an ideological struggle within the party but to rid the Florida House Democratic caucus of members who voted with Republicans on abortion and school choice bills, or made anti-LGBTQ remarks.
“It’s about ethical leadership and basic Democratic values,” Eskamani said. “Unfortunately for some of my colleagues in the Florida Legislature, though they have a Democratic Party affiliation, they don’t vote along basic Democratic values.”
But her stance also parallels the fight within the party at the national level, where activists, union leaders and community organizers are taking on and defeating long-serving Democratic incumbents, including three U.S. House members who lost primaries across the country this week.
The move is akin to the attempts by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who has supported primary challenges to Democratic incumbents, including Chardo Richardson’s failed bid in 2018 to oust U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Winter Park.
Eskamani is endorsing opponents of Rep. Kim Daniels in House District 14, a Jacksonville district; Rep. Al Jacquet in HD 88, which covers part of Palm Beach County; and Rep. Anika Omphroy in HD 95, which covers Lauderdale Lakes and North Lauderdale in Broward County.
The seats are in safe Democratic districts, so if the challengers succeed it would move the House Democratic caucus in a more progressive direction.
“These are all strong Democratic seats and yet the Democratic incumbents are choosing to not be Democrats,” Eskamani said.
All three incumbents voted for SB 404, which requires girls to get the permission of a parent before they can obtain an abortion. They also voted for HB 7067, which expanded voucher programs that use tax credits to pay for scholarships to private schools.
Those votes drew the ire of abortion rights groups and teachers unions, groups that traditionally back Democrats.
Omphroy, Daniels and Jacquet did not return calls for comment.
Eskamani’s vocal stands on abortion rights, against corporate tax rebates, against the expansion of school voucher programs and most recently, helping constituents navigate the state’s byzantine unemployment system has earned her a large following, especially among progressives.
That spurred what she called a grass-roots effort to draft her to run for governor in 2022, but she said she’s focused on getting reelected to the House this fall and any decision on seeking the governorship will come after Nov. 3, Election Day.
The challengers endorsed by Eskamani, herself a former Planned Parenthood representative and abortion rights activist, have similar backgrounds in politics, activism and unions. Her endorsement might’ve helped boost their campaigns, but they are also powered by a loose network of unions and progressive groups.
Jasmen Rogers-Shaw, who is battling Omphroy, was an African-American outreach director for Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign and a board member of Ruth’s List, a progressive women’s group, in Broward County.
Angie Nixon, a representative of the Florida Public Services Union and former representative of New Florida Majority, a progressive advocacy group, is taking on Daniels. Omari Hardy, a Lake Worth city commissioner, wants to unseat Jacquet.
“If you are not going to stand up for our community, if you’re not going to stand on the side of workers … prepare for a challenge,” Rogers-Shaw said. “There’s going to be a fight, and we’re going to let people decide. That’s what democracy is all about.”
The challengers also have the backing of a network of activist progressive groups and unions that have helped them gain a fundraising advantage, at least in their main campaign accounts, through small dollar donations over the larger, but fewer donations from big businesses going to the incumbents.
Because donations in legislative races are capped at $1,000, the progressive groups with a small donor network can gain an edge over the incumbents they couldn’t gain in a more expensive state Senate or congressional races.
Rogers-Shaw, for example, has raised nearly $90,000 through July 24 via 971 separate donations, compared to Omphroy’s $41,000 from 70 donors.
But one major outside group, the Florida Federation for Children PAC, is putting its money toward ad campaigns backing the trio of incumbents. The political committee raised nearly $800,000 in three months, including $215,000 from John Kirtley, chairman of the Step Up for Students group that administers the state’s voucher program, and $550,000 from Jim Walton, one of the heirs of the Walmart fortune.
The group has spent nearly $300,000 on Florida campaigns so far, including digital ads for Omphroy, Daniels and Jacquet.
Eskamani said she hasn’t received any pushback from Democratic leaders or griping from fellow lawmakers about her support for the challengers. Democratic incumbents were told by leaders earlier this year they would have to get through any primary challenges on their own because scarce party funds are needed for general election campaigns.
She doesn’t think the primary fights are taking away resources from general election races Democrats need to defeat Republicans and gain seats in the House, where Republicans have a 73-46 advantage.
Efforts to oust Democrats over abortion and school choice issues won’t hurt the party’s attempts to win swing seats in the future, she said.
“Any argument that these Democrats are helping is a complete farce,” Eskamani said. “When we talk about broadening our tent it doesn’t mean you completely ignore Democratic values.”
grohrer@orlandosentinel.com
