As he gears up to run for a fourth and final term in the Florida House, Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, has drawn a major Democratic opponent for his seat which represents parts of Miami-Dade.
Earlier this week, businesswoman and Army veteran Daisy Baez filed to run against Fresen as a Democrat. Born in the Dominican Republic, Baez came to the United States when she was 17 and joined the Army, serving in the First Cavalry where she earned a number of citations and awards including the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. Baez entered the health care industry in South Florida and has served as the executive director of the Dominican Health Care Association of Florida.
Baez has been active with the Democratic Party, serving as president of Miami-Dades Democratic Hispanic Caucus, being active with the county Democratic Executive Committee and being a delegate to last years Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. She has also attracted a little attention from the Obama administration and served as part of White House working groups on the fiscal cliff and the free-trade agreement with Colombia.
Sunshine State News called Baezs campaign office on Tuesday and spoke with Tony Diaz who will be her campaign manager for the 2014 campaign. Diaz confirmed biographical details on the candidates life and said a website will be launched in the immediate future.
Fresen, the chairman of the Education Appropriations Subcommittee, filed his paperwork to run for a fourth term back in February. While he could not raise money when the Legislature was in session, by the end of June Fresen raised $42,750 for his campaign but spent more than $20,600 of that.
A familiar face will be engaging Fresen in a rematch in the Republican primary. Accountant Amory Bodin challenged Fresen last year and attacked the incumbents record on fiscal issues and on the expansion of casino gambling. While Fresen won the primary with 72 percent of the vote, Bodin filed to run again back in December.
Fresen won the general election by the skin of his teeth in November, edging Democratic challenger Ross Hancock by 1,400 votes and taking 51 percent of the vote. Hancock may have been helped by heavy Democratic turnout spurred by President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., being on the ballot. There is a slight Republican lean in the district with 40 percent of voters registered with the GOP and 35 percent as Democrats. Still, even in the off-years, elections are often close here. Back in 2010, Rick Scott took 50 percent of the vote in the district while Alex Sink got 48 percent of the vote.
Sunshine State News left a message for Fresen on Tuesday but it was not returned. His district staff noted he was out of the office.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at 904-521-3722.
