State Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, the Republican nominee for Floridas 25th Congressional District, is counting on his conservative message and ideology to carry him to victory in November.
Of course, his Cuban heritage and experience representing the Miami area in the Florida Legislature doesnt hurt, either.
Trouble is, even as an incumbent, Rivera has his hands full. The national Democratic Party has targeted CD25 as one of the few Republican seats Democrats can pick up this year. And Joe Garcia, Rivera's opponent, is election-campaign savvy, well-connected and has plenty of friends in the district.
Rivera was born in New York after his family left Cuba in the wake of Fidel Castros Communist revolution in 1959. In 1974, his family moved to Miami, where Rivera quickly became a young conservative. He volunteered for Ronald Reagans presidential campaign in 1980 and for his re-election in 1984 as a College Republican while getting a degree in political science at Florida International University.
He later got the opportunity to work in the U.S. Capitol as an aide to former Sen. Connie Mack III. Rivera believes this experience will help him transition from the Florida Legislature to the U.S. Congress.
It was an honor to work with Sen. Mack, such a distinguished legislator, in the U.S. Congress. I got the opportunity to see the legislative process in Congress firsthand working for Sen. Mack -- experience I hope will help serve me well as the next congressman from Southern Florida, Rivera said.
After being elected to the 112th Florida House District in 2002, he became chairman of the House Full Appropriations Committee. Rivera counts the passage of balanced budgets (a requirement of Floridas Constitution), especially during the states economic crisis in the last two years, as some of his major legislative achievements.
We had to make difficult decisions on how to fund Floridas most important programs, like education and health care, while still living within the state budget means, Rivera said.
Joe Garcia, meanwhile, has reason to believe he's a winner. He came close to defeating incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart in 2008. Diaz-Balart is running for the 21st District seat, considered safer for Republicans, to replace his brother Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who is retiring.
Both Rivera and Garcia won their respective primaries easily, and feel they have momentum heading into the general election.
The strength of Joe Garcia as a candidate has led most observers to believe he will likely win in November, said Ariel Milian, Garcias campaign spokesperson.
Garcia's campaign said last week that he was unavailable to comment on this story.
As could be expected in a tight race, the campaign turned ugly immediately after the primary, with Garcias campaign airing an ad accusing Rivera of ramming a truck filled with mailers for a political opponent in 2002 and co-owning a home with U.S. Senate candidate and former Florida House speaker Marco Rubio in Tallahassee that was foreclosed upon.
It is obvious that Republicans regret recruiting David Rivera, a man riddled with personal controversies and an inability to tell the truth, Milian said.
For his part, Rivera has denied the allegations and said his campaign is focused on the larger issues facing the country.
As a nation, we are facing some monumental challenges right now, and I think the voters deserve enough respect that candidates should speak to those issues, particularly the economy and job creation, because thats what the voters are interested in, Rivera said.
But Garcias campaign isnt the only one to make allegedly false accusations. Contrary to a claim made by Rivera, Garcia says he supports a free-trade agreement with Colombia, which many believe will result in more jobs for South Florida.
The race for CD25, which stretches from Miami across the Everglades to Naples, also includes two other candidates. Whig Party nominee Craig Porter and Tea Party nominee Roly Arrojo will also appear on the ballot.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
