Paulette Armstead is better qualified
The voters in Florida House District 92 should choose challenger Paulette Armstead over incumbent Rep. Patricia Hawkins Williams to represent them in Tallahassee.
Because there are no Republicans seeking the seat, the winner of Aug. 28 Democratic primary will represent the district, which covers inland sections of Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, Margate, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach and Tamarac.
Armstead, 68, is smart, thoughtful and persuasive about the issues facing this minority-majority district. A semi-retired attorney, she demonstrated in her endorsement interview and questionnaire that she understands the complexity of school reform, gun safety, sea level rise, legislative tactics and more.
Williams, 52, is a veteran politician. She won the district seat in 2016 (with 33 percent of the vote in a fourperson race) and served as a Lauderdale Lakes commissioner from 2008 to 2016.
A lifelong resident of the district, Williams said she is seeking re-election because she wants to continue to “be a voice for those who don’t have a voice.”
But unlike Armstead, during her Sun Sentinel endorsement interview Williams didn’t demonstrate a good grasp of detail. She points out that Republicans control state government and that it’s difficult for Democrats to get their ideas enacted into law. All true. But Democrats must still be able to make their case.
If elected, Armstead would face the challenge of being a newcomer in the minority party. However, she would go to Tallahassee with a well-considered and detailed agenda, and a force of will that Williams appears to lack.
A graduate of Florida State University Law School, Armstead outlined a litany of legislative goals. Atop her list is to improve the state’s economy so that Floridians will have access to high-wage jobs; increase revenue so the state will be able to accommodate its growing population; and shift money away from charter schools and back to public schools.
She advocates for sensible gun-safety laws. She supports a ban on the sale of semi-automatic assault rifles, the repeal of the Stand Your Ground law and the closing of loopholes that allow the unrestricted sale of weapons at gun shows and by private citizens.
As a former St. Petersburg police officer (the city’s first black female officer in 1971,) she opposes the legalization of recreational marijuana.
“I believe that recreational users will pose a danger to themselves and others,” she wrote in her questionnaire.
In contrast to Armstead’s lengthy answers, Williams’ responses were vague or missing altogether. She failed to answer questions about the workings of the Florida House and her position on abortion rights.
Her responses to other questions were brief and simplistic. For example, she said the best way to deal with the eruption of algae blooms was simply to “ensure money is available to clean it up.”
Armstead ran in the District 92 race in 2016 and we did not endorse her, noting that she was new to the district. Instead, we urged her to get more involved in politics and the community. She has done that and today, she is clearly the better-qualified candidate. short month later. You can follow all the endorsements at sunsentinel.com/endorsements. — Rosemary O’Hara, editorial page editor