Florida

Ricardo Rangel was elected to State House District 43 in 2012.  Ricardo Rangel is a second-generation NCO veteran of the U.S. Army.  Following his honorable discharge, Rangel continued to serve the public through community activism.  In recognition of his activism, Rangel was awarded the "Emerging Leaders Award" byt he Central Brevard NAACP and the "National Leadership Award" by the Business Council.  Rangel is also active in politics and local government.  He was instrumental in the passing of Amendment 5 and 6 in Brevard County to ensure fair federal and state legislative districts.  He served on the Citizens Advisory Board and the Zoning Board of Adjustment for the City of Melbourne.  In 2003, his peers elected him as "Florida Young Democrat of the Year."

Jason Henry is running for State Representative in District 46. Encouraged by his mother’s volunteerism as a community activist, Jason developed his commitment to public service during his teenage years. While working on his undergraduate degree at Virginia College, Jason founded the Student Body Association, where he led voter registration drives on campus and educated students about civic engagement. He currently works for the Disney Corporation and as an investigative reporter for the West Orlando news. In addition, he serves as President of the Orange County Young Democrats and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Louis Reinstein is running for State Representative in District 98. A native of Broward County, he graduated with Bachelor’s degree from University of Florida and earned his Master of Arts in Jewish Studies at Emory University. After graduate school, Louis returned home to teach middle and high school where he once attended elementary school. After teaching for four years, Louis earned his law degree from Nova Southeastern University. He combines his legal and educational background in teaching students about the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Joe Saunders has lived in East Central Florida for over 15 years. In 2003, while a student at University of Central Florida, Joe organized rallies and press conferences following a gay hate crime. While at UCF, Joe served as Chair of the UCF Progressive Council and President of the UCF LGBT Student Union. For the past seven years, he has worked with Equality Florida, working for policies to protect citizens from discrimination. He is also involved with the Orange County Democratic Party.

When Dwight Dudley graduated from Florida State University, he worked as a Legislative Aide in the Florida House of Representatives. He later worked as an Assistant Public Defender in the Felony Division. Practicing law with his own law firm for 16 years, he understands both the importance of justice and the challenges of running a small business. Dwight is was elected in 2012 because he had a progressive vision and the government experience to represent all Floridians.

John Alvarez is running for State Representative in District 53. John is an educator, reading tutor, and Florida Lego Robatics coach. John was born in Miami and is a graduate of the University of Central Florida. As the grandson of a Cuban immigrant, John watched his family struggle from the neighborhoods of Miami to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He experienced first-hand the economic hardships and saw the benefits of hard work. He is also a community leader who believes in putting the people first.

Karen Castor Dentel is a mother, educator, and activist. She is running for the Florida House of Representatives to fight for better economic opportunities and to improve public education. Karen has taught in Orange County Public Schools for 11 years, and currently teaches a combined second- and third-grade class in Maitland. She is also a member of the Florida Education Association.

David Lutrin is running for State Representative, District 85. David has been a public school teacher for over 22 years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Queens College of the City University of New York and later earned a Master of Science in Computer Science Education at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. David is a proud union member; he is a member of the National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the AFL-CIO, and serves as lead representative for the Palm County Classroom Teachers Association (CTA).

Joshua Shulman is running for State Representative in District 69. Joshua moved to Florida, shortly after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He opened a financial planning practice and obtained his MBA from the University of Florida. In 2011, Joshua made his first foray into politics. He was unsuccessful in his bid for the St. Petersburg City Council.

Ian Whitney is running for State Representative in District 120. Ian is active local Democratic leader. He was elected State Committeeman in December 2009 and serves as chair of Florida's 18th District Democratic Executive Committee. He represents Monroe County on the Florida Democratic Party State Executive Committee and the 18th Congressional District on the party's State Central Committee. Ian was appointed to the FDP Campaign Committee, is on the Legislative Committee of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida and is active in the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus.