New Rosen Gonzalez campaign ad claims Miami Beach Democrats endorsed her. They didn’t.
Days before a runoff election in Miami Beach’s Group I City Commission race, Democratic Party leaders are criticizing candidate Kristen Rosen Gonzalez for saying falsely in a political ad that the Miami Beach Democratic Club endorsed her.
Rosen Gonzalez, a Democratic former city commissioner, sent voters a campaign mailer Friday saying she was “endorsed by” the local Democratic group. But that’s not true, according to Miami Beach Democratic Club President Matthew Land.
Although the club has said it supports all Democrats running for office, it has also stated it did not endorse anyone in the Group I runoff, which includes another Democratic candidate, Raquel Pacheco.
Land said it is the club’s policy not to endorse candidates in a race when more than one Democrat is running.
“We did not endorse her,” Land told the Herald.
Miami Beach’s municipal elections are non-partisan. But Miami Beach is left-leaning, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans and independents among the city’s 50,000 voters.
Defending her mailer in an interview Saturday, Rosen Gonzalez cited an email the club sent to members Nov. 1 ahead of Election Day stating that it is “supporting all of the Democrats who are running.”
“They endorsed both of us,” Rosen Gonzalez said.
Land said Rosen Gonzalez misled voters by interpreting the email to mean the group had endorsed her.
The club put out a subsequent email last Tuesday endorsing Democrat Stephen Cohen in the Group III runoff against independent Alex Fernandez — and explaining that it had not endorsed anyone in the Rosen Gonzalez-Pacheco race.
“It is the policy of the Miami Beach Democratic Club to NOT endorse in any race that has more than one Democrat,” the club wrote in the email. “Since the Miami Beach Commissioner, Group 1 run-off election has 2 Democrats — Kristen Rosen Gonzalez and Raquel Pacheco — we have not made an endorsement in the Group 1 race.”
Land and Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Robert Dempster issued statements after Rosen Gonzalez sent her mail piece, criticizing her for claiming the club’s endorsement. The party’s Miami-Dade chapter has endorsed Pacheco.
“@rosengonzalez sent a mailer stating she was endorsed by the @MBDemocrats. She lied,” Dempster wrote on Twitter Saturday.
Rosen Gonzalez said the controversy is “just another attack” on her campaign from the Democratic Party. She said there is a “conflict of interest” in Miami Beach Democratic Club because Pacheco’s campaign manager, Aaron Bos-Lun, is a member of the board. Land said Bos-Lun has recused himself from the issue.
This story was originally published November 13, 2021 at 3:56 PM.
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