Herald endorsement: The best choice in Florida House District 106 Republican primary | Opinion
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Miami Herald Editorial Board’s 2024 Election Endorsements
In advance of the upcoming primary elections on Aug. 20, 2024, the Editorial Board interviewed and researched 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.
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Independent-minded voters have a clear choice in the House District 106 Republican primary — and it’s not the one-term incumbent.
Rep. Fabian Basabe, 46, bills himself as a unifier trying to break through the polarization in Tallahassee where his party has pushed through ultra-conservative policies on education and reproductive rights that he claims he does not support in their entirety.
Take the fundamental privacy rights issue of our time: abortion rights.
Basabe said he supported a 12-week ban and was pressing Democrats to work with him to get the GOP-led Legislature to offer that compromise instead of passing the highly unpopular 6-week ban that Gov. Ron DeSantis eventually signed. Yet when it came time to vote on the bill and argue for amendments to achieve at least 12 weeks of protections for women, Basabe copped out.
Basabe did not vote on any of the Democrats’ proposed changes. He did not vote for or against the six-week ban either, later saying he decided he would “not negotiate life.”
Basabe, known as the “male Paris Hilton” two decades ago during his New York socialite years, likes to talk big, but he simply is not reflecting the interests of the vast majority of voters in his coastal district, which stretches from South Beach to Sunny Isles and Aventura. The plurality of registered voters in District 106 are independents, followed by Democrats.
His GOP challenger, Melinda Almonte, 61, practiced corporate securities law in New York and lives in Golden Beach. She stopped working as a full-time lawyer two decades ago to care for her twin sons, who have learning disabilities she says were caused by medical malpractice during childbirth. She moved with her husband to Miami Dade two decades ago and is an advocate for children with disabilities. As a member of the Florida Bar, she has done pro-bono work and says her experiences have “taught me patience, humility and determination to accomplish things for others.”
In a “representative democracy,” she told the Herald Editorial Board, “if a majority want reproductive rights, that’s the legislation you should sign up for.”
A fiscal conservative, Almonte also has expertise in urban planning, which bodes well for finding ways to combat sea-level rise in this coastal district. She wants the Legislature to reconsider the condo reserves requirements, passed after the collapse of Champlain Towers where 98 people died, so that retirees on fixed incomes are not priced out of their homes.
She wants to improve services for children with disabilities. “My desire is simply to do good. I have no desire to go on TV,” she said.
For the Republican primary in House District 106, the Miami Herald Editorial Board recommends MELINDA ALMONTE.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWho 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 July 30, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
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