Florida state senator Shevrin Jones announces run for Congress, replacing retired Congresswoman Frederica Wilson
With the retirement of Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, the race for Congressional District 24 is certainly one that will garner a lot of attention. There are seven Democrats in the race, and whoever wins the primary in August will almost certainly be elected to Congress, since this is the most Democratic district in the state.
The candidates who have qualified are: Shevrin Jones, Rudy Moise, Oliver Gilbert, Kendrick Meek, Jr., Jean Monestine, Roderick Vareen, and Marshall Davis.
Jones, a Democratic state senator who has represented the Miami Gardens area in Tallahassee, said he believes he has shown an ability to get things done.
"Listen, I have always been a believer that the government works best when it remembers who it's supposed to serve," he said during an interview with CBS News Miami's Jim DeFede. "And I've spent the last fourteen years of my career for people who often feel unseen, for people who often feel unheard, and those who've been left behind. I've worked with many families who just want to try to keep a roof over their head, teachers trying to educate their children without enough resources. That's what I've done while I've been in office."
"And I've been one of the people who have seen what it looks like when government works for people and not work against people," he continued. "But I also realized that a lot of what we were fighting in Tallahassee, it doesn't just start in Tallahassee; it starts in Washington, D.C. We see the dysfunction in what has happened in Washington D.C. over the years. And not only is it dysfunction, but it's also not working on behalf of the individuals who can't pay the rent, it is not working for the individuals that can't purchase their food, or even fill up their gas. So, we have to put individuals in Congress who know what it means to work across the aisles, who know it means who's worked on policy to ensure that you bring a better life to families."