Sigman best choice in Democratic primary
Democrats view the District 9 race as a juicy opportunity to pick up a seat in Florida’s state Senate, where Republicans have a 23-17 advantage.
Longwood labor attorney Patricia Sigman is the Democrats’ best hope in that race, which covers Seminole County and southwest Volusia County. But that’s not why we’re endorsing her.
The coronavirus pandemic brought some of the state’s problems into clear focus, including an over-dependency on a low-paying tourism economy and a ragged safety net for the vulnerable service sector.
Nothing in state government, however, performed more abysmally than the system that was supposed to provide a financial lifeline for the unemployed during hard times. Instead, it became an anchor, dragging hundreds of thousands of Floridians underwater during what probably will be the worst financial crisis most of them will ever face.
Florida let them down and let them drown because for years elected majorities didn’t care what happened to the unemployed.
The system needs a top-to-bottom overhaul, and that’s a task Sigman is well-suited to take on.
In her practice as an employment attorney, Sigman has represented people who are trying to get paid the unemployment compensation they’ve earned. You don’t do that kind of legal work without gaining a thorough understanding of how the system works, and doesn’t work.
Sigman’s knowledge of the system runs deep, and that gives her the power to advocate for the reforms Florida’s unemployment system needs, like increasing the miserly weekly payment, extending the length of time that workers are eligible for benefits, making the system more user-friendly and undoing some of the oppressive demands heaped on people while they’re collecting unemployment.
With its low-wage economy, Central Florida in particular needs someone who can that unemployment fight, not just follow when others take it up. That’s what Sigman’s been trained to do.
Sigman’s other priorities are a good fit with this region as well, particularly her belief that Medicaid should be extended to more people to help more people get health care. She also supports universal background checks for gun purchases, another common-sense change whose wisdom eludes too many politicians.
This crowded Democratic primary has some other intriguing candidates, particularly Alexis Carter, another attorney. He was a public defender for a time and served as a U.S. Army lawyer, deployed to Afghanistan. He continues to serve in the Army reserves and holds the rank of major.
Also in the race are Rick Ashby, Guerdy
Remy and H. Alexander Duncan. We found things to like about each of them, but none is as prepared as Sigman to become an effective voice for her district in the state Senate.
Sigman’s also the best choice for Democrats who want a viable contender in the general election, where the primary winner will face former state Rep. Jason Brodeur, a formidable candidate whose campaign has raised nearly $1 million — so far. It’s an astonishing amount of money for a state legislative race.
Republicans are not taking Seminole County for granted, now that its political complexion has shifted from red to purple.
If Democrats wish to take the race seriously as well, they’ll choose Sigman, a candidate who is best positioned not just to be competitive but also to lead in the Legislature on some of the issues Democrats say are most important to them.