By Dessalines Ferdinand
Many members of South Florida’s Haitian Community still remember the 2010 elections where the community was just about to make political history by electing one of its members to the U.S. Congress for the first time. Unfortunately, a lack of unity among four Haitian-American candidates running at the same time for Florida’s Congressional District 36 seat (vacated by then U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek -who left his position to run unsuccessfully for one of the two Florida senate seats) favored the African-American candidate Frederica Wilson, who easily won Florida’s 17th Congressional district for her first term, thanks to the split of the Haitian-American votes.
The race could have resulted in the first member of U.S. Congress born in Haiti. However, the egotism of those four favored the candidacy of Wilson. It was clear that with all these Haitian-American candidates, wanting to be the first in the United States Congress, the community ran the risk of losing it all. The lack of consensus among candidates Philipp Brutus, Yolly Roberson, Marleine Bastien, and Roudolph Moise resulted in missing a political opportunity for the community.
Some efforts were made to bring the number of Haitian-American candidates to one. All the candidates accepted the theory of sending just one candidate to that election, but paradoxically none of them was willing to step aside and let the candidate with the better chance proceed. Each individual made the case that he or she was most qualified for the position. Even today some observers are still pointing fingers at those four individuals each time this subject comes up in a conversation. Many believe that history will ultimately judge them.
Despite what happened in the 2010 U.S. Congressional race, some aspiring Haitian-American politicians seem to have failed to learn that lesson. So far, any real change (where a sense of greater vision for the entire community will be put first) has not been embodied. The Haitian-American crab-mentality (if I can’t have it, neither can you) is still in full effect.
Most recently, during the 2016 Florida House of Representatives District 108 elections, out a total of seven candidates taking part in the primary elections on August 30, four were Haitian-Americans. Again, the split of Haitian-American candidates’ votes favored the ultimate winner Roy Hadermon, an African-American. With Marie Erlande Steril (3,176 votes, 20.44%), Francesca Menes (3,131 votes, 20.15% ), Moise Duge (1,439 votes, 9.26%) and Fayola Delica (921 votes, 5.93% ), together the four Haitian-American candidates grabbed 55.78% of all votes cast, compared to the winner Roy Hardemon (3,410 votes, 21.95%). The same scenario could have been repeated in 2018 in the primary elections for the same Florida House seat, when both Haitian-American candidates Dotie Joseph and Joseph Beauvil ran against incumbent Roy Hardemon. With fewer Haitian-American candidates in the race that year and thanks to a well-organized campaign lead by Ms. Joseph, she was able to win the seat with a total of 8,379 votes (49.3%) against incumbent Hardemon (6,132 votes 36.1%), despite Beauvil collecting 2,483 votes (14.6%).
Members of the Florida House of Representatives serve two-year terms and may serve no more than four consecutive terms. The next election for the office of Florida House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 25, 2020. The filing deadline is June 12, 2020.
Dotie Joseph is actually the only Haitian-American representative in Florida Congress. As primary elections are eleven months away, she already knows that she will have to once again face her predecessor Roy Hadermon who is looking to regain the seat back from her. Knowing she will not be running uncontested next year for a second term, more unsettling news recently came out for her campaign. A first time Haitian-American candidate recently announced that he will throw his hat in the ring, too.
Georges Bossous Jr., who, just like Dotie Joseph, was born in Haiti, formally announced his campaign on Monday, September 23, on ‘Bonjour Haiti’, a morning Radio show (Radio Mega 1700AM) hosted by veteran journalist Elizabeth Guerin.
Mr. Georges Bossous certainly has the right to run, especially as he believes he has something great to offer the community, as it’s every citizen’s right to seek election and represent their communities, but Ms. Joseph has only had just one year so far to make an impact in Tallahassee. As a young devoted State Representative, she hasn’t even completed one term in office, not enough time to evaluate her political performance. Perhaps it would be more prudent and supportive of the Haitian-American community to step aside and let her continue to seek improvements at the state level of this Southern Florida community.
We appreciate Mr. Bossous strong and fair analysis and opinions on Haitian politics. He is insightful and clearly passionate about Haiti and its people.
However, he should be aware that his presence in the upcoming District 108 primary race could very well jeopardize the sole representation this community now has in state legislation. If a non-Haitian-American wins the seat because of split loyalties among this community, then once again it would have no one speaking on their behalf at the state level, especially on matters that impact this community most.
Sometimes serving one’s community also means knowing when to step aside and step down, if only for a couple more years.
Dessalines Ferdinand/Le Floridien
