Editorials

Herald recommends: Hard-working lawmaker Dotie Joseph earns chance to represent new House District 108 | Editorial

By the Miami Herald Editorial Board

Updated August 21, 2022 5:15 PM

State Rep. Dotie Joseph, middle, is running against former North Miami City Clerk Michael Etienne (right) and former state Rep. Roy Hardemon in the Aug. 23 primary for state House District 108.

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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:

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Two challengers in this race never responded to the Editorial Board’s invitation. Fortunately the incumbent seeking to represent this North Miami-Dade district is up to the task and should be returned to Tallahassee.

Rep. Dotie Joseph is seeking reelection to represent redrawn House District 108, which now includes Wynwood, but not Liberty City, and also Little Haiti, Miami Shores, Miami Gardens and Biscayne Park.

Two fellow Democrats are challenging Joseph: Michael A. Etienne, a former North Miami clerk, who last year ran unsuccessfully for mayor of that city, and community activist and former state legislator Roy Hardemon, who lost this seat to Joseph in 2016. He has unsuccessfully challenged Joseph every election year since.

Etienne and Hardemon did not respond to the Editorial Board’s invitation to participate in a virtual candidate interview. Only Joseph accepted.

Both challengers have had their missteps. In 2018, while still working for the city of North Miami, Etienne pleaded no contest to two charges filed by the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics & Public Trust, alleging he used more than $2,000 in taxpayer funds to visit Mount Rushmore during a 2016 work conference trip.

Hardemon has a lengthy arrest record for trespassing and disorderly conduct and more serious charges and more serious felony charges, some of which have been dropped or pleaded down.

Fortunately, Joseph is working competently on behalf of the district. She says the most pressing issues there all have to do with affordable housing, from gentrification to the lack of available low-income units, to skyrocketing homeowners insurance and the disappearance of units for short-term rentals. “For my district, the lack of affordable housing is a perfect storm,” she told the Editorial Board.

As a Democrat, Joseph admits that being in the minority party in Tallahassee is an uphill battle. “The atmosphere is downright hostile,” she said of the relationship between Republican and Democratic legislators. Her bills, and that of other Democrats, often languish on the vine, she says, but Joseph says being able to make friends across the aisle is the secret to getting anything done for Florida Democrats.

She has pushed to get the state’s unemployment website fixed, expand Medicaid and protect the Sadowski housing trust fund from being raided by lawmakers, to no avail. Despite hurdles, Joseph has been a persistent fighter for the district. She says she helped direct billions for road improvements in Miami Shores, supplemented by Biden’s American rescue plan. She helped get funding for infrastructure-related projects like drainage and traffic calming and for Horace Mann Middle School in Miami Shores. The North Miami meals program for senior citizens received $350,000.

For the city of Miami, she helped get $2.5 million for pump station upgrades and just over $27,000 for the Haitian Heritage Museum for Miami-Dade. That’s impressive.

For her experience and dedication to her district, the Miami Herald recommends DOTIE JOSEPH for Florida House District 108.

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 2:14 PM.