Duran faces former county Commissioner Barreiro in Florida House District 112
Incumbent Democratic Rep. Nick Duran is facing former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro for Florida House District 112, a seat that Duran has comfortably kept since 2016.
The district extends from Brickell and Coral Gables to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, encompassing one of the largest coastal areas of Miami-Dade (and both candidates agree sea-level rise is one of the most pressing issues affecting the district).
District 112 is 70% Hispanic and leans Democratic, with just over 35,000 registered Democrats, 32,759 people with no party affiliation and nearly 28,000 registered Republicans, according to book closing figures from the 2020 presidential primary cycle.
The district has gained over 3,000 registered Democrats since 2018, according to the Florida Department of State but less than 1,000 Republican voters. The number of no-party voters grew by almost 1,600.
This is Duran’s third run to represent this district, which favored Hillary Clinton in 2016 with about 60% of the vote, and he more than doubled his lead in 2018 against Republican opponent Rosy Palomino. His campaign is leading in funding less than a month before Election Day, with nearly $80,000 on hand, while his opponent is topping $20,000, state camruns paign records show.
Duran, 38, is the executive director of the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, a nonprofit that serves uninsured low-income residents, and serves on the Public Health Trust Board of Trustees that oversees Jackson Health System.
“This president is not liked in my district,” Duran said in an interview with the Miami Herald. “I think that my message with regard to gaining access to healthcare, helping rebuild small businesses, and protect our environment and prepare for sea-level rise … those are things that are important to people in my district.”
Barreiro, a son of Cuban immigrants and a Clearwater native, argues that his biggest selling point is the experience he brings having served as state representative from 1992 to 1998, followed by 10 years as a county commissioner.
In 2018, the 54-year-old Republican business owner lost by 14 points in a primary bid for Congress in an overlapping district to succeed former U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. This August, he successfully beat Palomino in the Republican primary. Barreiro says he’s looking forward to unseating Duran and working with the Miami-Dade delegation in the Florida House of Representatives.
“At the end of the day, being in the majority [party] is a plus to be able to bring home the dollars, to pass legislation and get things done. And I think I bring that to the table also for the voters,” said Barreiro. He the financial advising company BABJ Investments Corporation and serves as director of Fatima Home Care, a home healthcare service company.
Barreiro said building consensus is his strong suit. He touted his work on the Tri-Rail Administrative Board in particular, and the MIA Mover line that connects Tri-Rail to Miami International Airport.
But Duran characterized Barreiro as someone who “just wants to sit in their office.”
“My opponent has been around for so many years. He was a member of the county commission and was in the district, and I don’t think there’s much work product for him to talk about,” he said.
Barreiro defended his record working on issues from affordable housing to transportation. “At the county, my colleagues have supported putting me in good positions, because I was a consensus builder,” he said. “I got a record to stand on; I’m not sure my opponent does.”
COVID-19 AND THE ECONOMY
Both candidates agree their districts have been deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and support prioritizing relief for small businesses that have been struggling through the economic crisis. While Duran says expanding access to affordable healthcare is the most important issue to address in Tallahassee, Barreiro says flexibility for the tourism industry should be the priority to bring back jobs.
“We’ve got to work with our tourism bureaus to make sure that they’re getting the right support, whether it’s through legislation, flexibility or through dollars,” Barreiro said. “[Tourists] are going to choose destinations within their states or within their country and we have to pull aggressively to bring back jobs.”
Duran, one of several Democratic state lawmakers who advocated for a special session amid the pandemic, said the state’s budget should have been reassessed to address the COVID crisis and unemployment.
“What we ended up doing because of politics … they gave the governor extraordinary spending power, the decision-making to move forward however he’s felt is best to spend the money on all the different programs. And every time we’ve done it, we’ve always been behind,” Duran said.
In his last two terms, Duran has sponsored healthcare-related bills that have been passed into law, including the creation of the Prescription Drug Donation Repository program, which creates a process for pharmacists and healthcare workers to donate unused prescription drugs to the state.
He also sponsored the Keep Our Graduates Working Act, preventing the state from revoking professional licenses and permits from graduates, despite defaulting on student loans. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed both of them into law.
“We have skipped a beat so many times. Unfortunately
a lot of people have lost their lives, but now we’re also ... like how do we get out of this lost year of education for kids?” said Duran.
HEALTHCARE
On expanding Medicaid in Florida, Barreiro said he was not closed off to the idea but that COVID has created other fiscal problems that might not make the program financially sustainable.
“I would support maybe an expansion in some areas, because we’ve got to look at it very clearly, make sure that it’s not going to break the bank,” said Barreiro.
Duran said he believes that part of the recovery from COVID-19 should include expanding Medicaid because it will help small businesses retain employees without having to pay for healthcare for their staff.
“I don’t think we have an opportunity, I think we have an obligation to have an adult conversation about the expansion of the Medicaid program,” Duran said.