Submitted by Miami Times
Two Florida lawmakers will serve on the national advisory board for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.
The Biden-Harris 2024 campaign announced 50 Democratic leaders who will serve on the board, including U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost and state Sen. Shevrin Jones. Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will chair the group, which also includes a few former opponents of Biden from the 2020 Democratic primary.
“The stakes of this election couldn’t be higher,” Biden said in a statement. “Our freedom and democracy are on the line. I’m grateful to this group of diverse and dynamic leaders who will help us win the battle for the soul of America and finish the job for the American people.”
The board is made up entirely of elected officials nationwide, holding office in 24 states. The presence of two Florida officials signals the Biden campaign will focus efforts on competing in Florida, a state he lost in 2020 to Republican Donald Trump by three percentage points.
Frost and Jones will serve as campaign surrogates during the national campaign. Both bring backgrounds useful for reaching different voting blocs.
Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress, won election in November to an open Orlando area U.S. House seat. At 26 years old, he’s the youngest sitting member of Congress and has shown a knack for earning national media attention. He has appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue already and made national headlines as he faced challenges finding a place to stay in Washington, D.C., due to an affordable housing shortage. He’s also the first Afro-Cuban in Congress.
Jones in 2020 first won election to the Florida Senate as the first openly gay lawmaker in the upper chamber. He has represented a majority-Black community in South Florida that boasts one of the highest concentrations of Caribbean Americans in the nation. He served the community in both his current role as senator and in the state House, and he pondered a run for Congress in 2021.
“Florida and our country are stronger today as a result of the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus and drive to get results for the American people. I look forward to joining my brother, Maxwell Frost, and so many other amazing Democrats in helping Joe Biden and Kamala Harris finish the job,” Jones tweeted.
Frost tweeted: “Honored to be working with Shevrin Jones to ensure that Florida fights fascism and re-elects President Biden. We will not give up on Florida!”
Others on the advisory board are former presidential candidates, including U.S. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, all of whom Biden defeated for the Democratic nomination in 2020.
The list includes eight U.S. senators and 11 governors. Frost is one of 17 U.S. representatives, while Jones is one of only two state lawmakers on the list, along with state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Pennsylvania.