Page 19 - DemoFlorida Sentinel 3-5-21

State News
Dixon-Diaz Partnership Promises Victory For Florida Democrats
MIAMI — Marcus Dixon is walking into a polit- ical firestorm. But you would never know it, judging by his demeanor. The easygoing millennial is the Executive Director of the Florida Dem- ocratic Party, and his boss is the charismatic Manny Diaz, the former Mayor of Miami who is now the chair- man.
“I’m grateful for the op- portunity to help put together and manage a team that will execute winning strategies statewide. This is a tremen- dous challenge, but we are up to it. And I look forward to getting the job done.”
As Florida Democrats come off a disappointing elec- tion cycle, Dixon and Diaz represent a team that thrives on challenge and bent on suc- cess.
Dixon is a Black South
MARCUS DIXON
Floridian with extensive ex- perience that satisfies all the touchstones of Democratic politics. His union chops in- clude serving as the Florida executive and political direc- tor for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). And he was a member of the
MANNY DIAZ
board that successfully passed Amendment 2, raising Florida's minimum wage to $15. It turned out to be one of the few bright spots for the Democrats in 2020.
He has local big govern- ment experience as policy di- rector to Miami-Dade County
Commission chair Jean Monestime. He was also political director for Charlie Crist’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
The diversity of the Dixon-Diaz partnership gets high marks from political activists and Congress- woman Frederica Wil- son.
"Marcus' experience working in government, or- ganizing, labor, and in build- ing coalitions at every level is exactly what we need to be successful as a party. It is time we focus on winning elections and building a multi-racial democracy. I am confident that as Executive Director, Marcus will help us do that."
Dixon will help to re- structure the party and man- age the day-to-day operations. According to
Diaz, Dixon brings the po- litical wherewithal and man- agerial skills needed to win campaigns and meet the needs of working Floridians, “Marcus brings the needed commitment to working peo- ple and the promise of oppor- tunity, which is the core principle of the Democratic Party."
Manny Diaz, mean- while, brings a wealth of fundraising skills unmatched since Charlie Whitehead ran the party in its hay day in the '80s. Democrats are look- ing to Diaz to restore Demo- cratic numbers in Miami, where the lack of a consistent message and a ground game helped Trump win Florida. But Diaz wields the kind of political agility that has Florida Democrats looking forward to victory in the up- coming 2022 elections.
FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 7-B