Democratic state House primaries: Edmonds, Manley
Because two South Florida state representatives resigned to run for the congressional seat vacated by the death of Alcee Hastings, their seats in the Florida House will be filled in primary and general elections on Jan. 11 and March 8. Both state House seats are in majority-minority districts in which the winner of the Democratic primary is almost certain to win the general election. In the case of House District 94, anchored in Fort Lauderdale, it’s a certainty, because only Democrats are running, making the Jan. 11 contest a rare open primary in which everyone can vote, regardless of party affiliation.
House District 88, Palm Beach
The seat vacated by former state Rep. Omari Hardy includes a large area around Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach connected to a smaller area around Delray Beach by a thin line running along a corridor between I-95 and Dixie Highway. Whoever wins the Democratic primary will face Republican Guarina Torres in March.
Two Democrats are running: Former Rivera Beach Police Chief Clarence “Chief ” Williams and Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds, the executive director of the nonprofit Suits for Seniors.
In an interview with the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board and a detailed questionnaire, Williams, 69, expressed views that would likely not be representative of the heavily Democratic District 88, including that he is “comfortable with the provisions” in Florida abortion law, which include mandatory parental consent for minors and required ultrasounds for all women. Williams called Gov. Ron DeSantis’ performance in office “adequate,” a far cry from the disastrous grade he gets from most Democrats.
After 16 years, Williams retired as chief of Riviera Beach’s police force in 2018, but it came amid controversy as the police union voted no confidence in him, 67 to 3, and WPTV Channel 5 recorded Williams attending a secret meeting with city council members over the controversial firing of a city manager.
In the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board’s endorsement interview, Williams beseeched voters to “look at the résumé of the individuals, look at the body of work, ask the tough questions, and then you make the decisions.”
And rather than Williams’ more conservative views or controversial past, it’s doing just that — looking at the body of work — that sways us to recommend Edmonds.
Edmonds, 30, has worked as a legislative aide in both the Senate and House and has developed connections in a town where relationships matter. Aside from his time in Tallahassee, Edmonds last year earned $60,000 working for Suits for Seniors, a Palm Beach County nonprofit he founded in 2015, which offers mentoring programs for high school seniors. He also lists a $75,000 salary with the West Palm Beach police athletic league. He has a better grasp than Williams of the priorities of his potential constituents, citing affordable health care, vocational training and criminal justice reform as top issues in his candidate questionnaire.
For his legislative experience, work among the district’s youth and an outlook on the issues that is more-aligned with the Democratic primary voting base, the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board recommends Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds in House District 88.
House District 94, Broward
House District 94, represented by the departing Rep. Bobby DuBose, will still be represented by a Democrat, as only Democrats are running to replace him. With no competition in the general election, Florida’s quirky election laws mandate that this primary will be open, meaning Republicans and independents can vote. They will choose from among four candidates in a district that includes northwest Fort Lauderdale and parts of Lauderhill and Lauderdale Lakes.
Three of the four have not run for office before, though one has a very familiar name in Broward circles. The fourth, 22-year-old Elijah Manley, ran for a Broward School Board seat in 2018 and for this House seat in 2020. We did not endorse him in either race, but we do now.
In those previous races, Manley challenged capable incumbents who had earned new terms. Now, having gained experience in those campaigns, Manley emerges as the strongest candidate for this open seat, citing health care, jobs and coronavirus mitigation as top issues.
That’s not to say all his weaknesses have left him. His campaign reports for this race are rife with audit letters — notices from the Division of Elections that a campaign has improperly filed its campaign finance reports. This was a problem he had in 2020, though he does not appear to have spent campaign money on a consultant with a fictitious name, as he did in 2018.
The audit letters are also an issue with rivals Daryl Campbell and Rod Kemp. The fourth candidate, Josephus Eggelletion III, may have no audit letters among his campaign finance paperwork, but his financial disclosure form shows that he owes the IRS $70,000.
Eggelletion, 47, cites his deep roots in the community and a lifetime of learning from local leaders, family and friends as why he’s best suited for this seat. His father, Joseph Eggelletion, once a rising star in Broward politics, was a mayor, county commissioner and legislator who served prison time for financial crimes and died of cancer in 2018 at age 69.
Kemp, 65, an ex-felon who has had his civil rights restored, is an advocate for voting reforms and lists as a top issue removing barriers put in place by the Legislature to prevent felons from voting. Campbell, 35, a social worker and mental health advocate, has the backing of DuBose, and his mental health expertise would be a positive addition to the Legislature.
But Manley, who was 15 when he first took an interest in civic affairs, and who was homeless during his childhood, offers a fresh face and a more well-rounded grasp of the issues. He has grown, both as a person and as a candidate.
“I have experience living in extreme poverty, having grown up in chronic homelessness. I know the issues,” Manley wrote in his questionnaire. “Furthermore, I am not beholden to lobbyists and special interests, and that gives me the ability to evaluate issues and make decisions on behalf of our district.”
In House District 94, the Sun Sentinel recommends Elijah Manley.