J’cans seeking elected office across US as political season gets in full swing
Published:Monday | June 17, 2024 | 12:06 AMLester Hinds/Gleaner Writer
With the election season in the United States moving into high gear ahead of the November 5 general elections, a number of Jamaicans are hoping to win political offices in their respective states.
Jamaicans are running for the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, to become state representatives, county leaders, mayors, commissioners, for judgeships, among other offices.
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who is seeking re-election to her Brooklyn 9th Congressional seat, will not face a primary democratic challenger when voters go to the polls on June 25.
She will, however, face a Republican challenger in the November 5 election.
Clarke first won her election to the House in 2007.
Jamaica-born Don Samuels is making another bid to try and unseat Congresswoman IIhan Omar in Minnesota 5th congressional district.
Samuels first ran against the congresswoman in 2022, losing by just over 2,500 votes.
Running on the democratic party ticket, Samuels is hoping that this time around he will be successful in defeating the 3-term congresswoman.
The democratic primary is set for August and whoever wins the primary is almost a shoe-in to become the congressional representative in the heavy democratic-congressional district.
Stanley Campbell, who boasts Jamaican heritage, has tossed his hat into the ring to try and win the Democratic Party’s primary to run for the United States Senate seat currently held by Republican Rick Scott.
Campbell, whose father is Jamaican, became the latest person to enter the Democratic party’s primary race hoping to win to take on Scott.
There are currently some nine people running in the Democratic Party’s primary which takes place on August 20, this year.
Campbell said he decided to run because he believes that he is the best candidate to take on Scott and beat him.
Denise D. Grant, who is currently commissioner in Lauderhill, is running to become mayor of that Broward County City of 75,000 people.
Grant, who has been commissioner since 2018, would be the first female mayor of the city in over 20 years. She would also be the first woman of colour and of Caribbean descent to hold the job.
She was born in Spaulding in Manchester, but migrated to the United States at age 9, first settling in New Jersey where she broke into community service.
She moved to Florida in 2007, settling in Lauderhill, Florida.
Grant said she was running to become mayor because she has abiding faith in the city and its potential to deliver for the residents.
Nicknamed ‘Jamaica Hill’, Lauderhill is home to a large Jamaican population
Running to become commissioner in Lauderhill City, is Richard Campbell, who has lived in the community for more than 28 years.
He previously served as a city commissioner for Lauderhill.
Campbell said he was committed to empowering residents with the resources that they need to thrive both professionally and personally and move the city forward by improving the economy, increase opportunities for home ownership and improve conditions for small businesses.
Mark Douglas, a city commissioner in Sunrise, is running to become mayor of that city.
Douglas was first elected in 2016 as city commissioner and returned to that post unopposed in 2020.
Sunrise has a population of more than 100,000 residents and is part of the Greater Fort Lauderdale metro area.