Editorials

Herald recommends: Freshman Florida lawmaker brought home some wins for District 107 | Editorial

By the Miami Herald Editorial Board

Updated August 16, 2022 9:50 AM

State Rep. Christopher Benjamin, right, faces a Democratic primary challenge from Wancito Francius.

Miami Herald Editorial Board Election Recommendations

In advance of local and state elections, the Editorial Board interviews political candidates to better understand their views on various issues and how their policies will affect their constituents. The goal is to give voters a better idea of who’s the best candidate for each race. Read our 2022 recommendations below:

Expand All

The Democratic primary for Florida House District 107 features a lawmaker seeking his second term and a business owner with an immigrant story.

State Rep. Christopher Benjamin, 49, was elected in 2020. He is a lawyer and traffic court hearing officer who touts working across the aisle on a law that waives tuition and fees at public universities and state colleges for disabled veterans who live in the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 45 into law by in June. The Legislature unanimously passed another bill he co-sponsored designed to prevent Floridians from losing their only car to debtors by increasing the maximum value of a vehicle that may be exempted from bankruptcy cases. DeSantis vetoed HB 265. Benjamin said that allows him to improve it if he’s reelected.

Benjamin secured about $1 million in this year’s state budget for local community projects such as septic-to-sewer conversions in North Miami. The Legislature originally approved $3 million for his district, but DeSantis vetoed many of those projects. That is not surprising given Benjamin is a freshman Democrat in a Republican-controlled state government.

In the short time he’s been in Tallahassee, Benjamin has shown some results. But he made a bad call when he voted for a controversial bill written by Florida Power & Light this year that would have curbed the expansion of rooftop solar power had DeSantis not vetoed it.

In December, his campaign received $1,000 from a political committee run by FPL parent company, NextEra Energy. He told the Herald Editorial Board, “Lobbyists don’t gain my vote from contributions.” He said most people in his district are not solar users because of the prohibitive costs, and he believed the legislation would protect those customers from having to subsidize rooftop solar users, an argument utility companies made to support House Bill 741. He added that was the vote he “later disliked the most.”

District 107’s boundaries changed during this year’s redistricting and stretch from the Miami-Broward county line south, covering North Miami Beach and part of Miami Gardens. Benjamin’s Miami Gardens home was left out of the new district, and he said he will rent a place in the district to fulfill House residency requirements.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face independent Pierre Prime in November.

Benjamin’s opponent is Wancito Francius. Born in Haiti, Francius moved to the United States in 2005 and talks about his rise from a new immigrant who slept on a couch to becoming a business owner. He owns Lion Intelligence & Security Services and Intelligence Tax Services in North Miami. In 2012, Francius filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy — because of a foreclosure and on his lawyer’s advice, he said — and declared he owed nearly $264,000 while earning a $1,880 monthly income, federal court filings show. The case was closed less than a year later.

Although he’s never held elected office, Francius describes himself as the person in his community people reach out to when they need help — “Serving people is my passion,” he said.

Francius said he wants to make sure people’s voices are heard in Tallahassee. Still, he’s not ready for elected office. When asked about Florida’s 15-week abortion ban, he said, “I’m not gonna say if I support it or not” and that he would instead “listen” to his constituents on the issue. But this a representative democracy, and when elected officials go to Tallahassee they must weigh in on dozens of bills without consulting thousands of voters.

It appears that Francius was trying to avoid giving a straight answer on reproductive rights. After much prodding, he said he believes, “Anytime a pregnancy goes over six weeks, it has become a life.” Benjamin, on the other hand, voted against the abortion ban.

Francius also has mischaracterized his opponent’s record. He said Benjamin voted for a bill that diluted Florida’s affordable housing trust fund in 2021, but Benjamin voted against Senate Bill 2512. Francius also accused him of voting for legislation that expanded the state’s ban on gun regulations by cities and counties. Benjamin voted “No” on SB 1884 in 2021.

The Herald recommends CHRISTOPHER BENJAMIN in the Florida House District 107 Democratic primary.

BEHIND THE STORY

Who decides the political endorsements?

In advance of local and state elections, Miami Herald Editorial Board members interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The Editorial Board is composed of experienced opinion journalists and is independent of the Herald’s newsroom. Members of the Miami Herald Editorial Board are: Amy Driscoll, editorial page editor; and editorial writers Isadora Rangel and Mary Anna Mancuso. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.

What does the endorsement process look like?

The Miami Herald Editorial Board interviews political candidates to better understand their views on public policy and how their policies will affect their constituents. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates before making an endorsement. The Editorial Board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous. Candidates who decline to be interviewed will not receive an endorsement.

Is the Editorial Board partisan?

No. In making endorsements, members of the Editorial Board consider which candidates are better prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with our editorial stances or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, readiness for office, depth of knowledge of key issues and understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points.

This story was originally published August 3, 2022 at 9:48 AM.