WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, The Collective PAC — the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation, and power across all levels of government  —  congratulates our endorsed candidates on advancing in their races. 

Federal 

• Congresswoman Val Demings is running to represent Florida in the United States Senate. Congresswoman Val Demings has dedicated her entire career to serving others; first as a social worker and then as a police officer in the Orlando Police Department. Congresswoman Demings served over 27 years on the force and became the first woman to serve as Chief of the Orlando Police Department. Under her leadership, violent crime fell by 40%. During that same time, Congresswoman Demings founded a youth mentoring program designed to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and youth in the community.  If elected, Congresswoman Demings will make history as the first Black person and the second woman to serve as a U.S. Senator from Florida. 

Statewide 

• Ms. Aramis Ayala is running for Attorney General in Florida. Ms. Ayala is a civil rights advocate and former Florida State Attorney. She served as a public defender and Assistant State  Attorney for almost 15 years, before leading as the State Attorney of Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit. Ms. Ayala created history by becoming the first Black state attorney in  Florida; she will once again be breaking racial barriers if elected, and she will be Florida’s first Black woman Attorney General. Ms. Ayala plans to advocate for voting, civil, and reproductive rights and give a voice to all Floridians.

State Legislature

• Mrs. Tiffany Hughes is running for the Florida House of Representatives in District 39. Mrs. Hughes is a community advocate, mentor, and owner of KBI Staffing Solutions LLC, a staffing firm. She is a graduate of the Florida International University and is the youngest President in history to be elected to the Orange County Florida chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. If elected, Mrs. Hughes seeks to address the housing crisis, expand medicare, and increase funding for schools and educators. 

 

• State Representative Michele Rayner is running for the Florida  House of Representatives in District 62. State Rep. Rayner currently represents District 70 in the Florida House of Representatives and is a civil rights and social justice attorney who made history in 2020 when she became the first openly queer Black member of the Florida legislature. As a member of the Florida legislature, Ms. Rayner wants to continue to serve her community as a leader ensuring equitable recovery from COVID, protecting voting rights, and demanding real justice for the underserved. 

Municipal

• Vice Mayor Mike Gelin is running for Mayor in Tamarac, Florida. Vice Mayor Gelin serves the community in the City of Tamarac in District Two. He is a graduate of Morris Brown College, an insurance brokerage owner, and a community advocate.  Vice Mayor Gelin served on the Community Involvement Roundtable of the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, Tamarac City’s Insurance Advisory Board, the Youth Survivors Foundation, a nonprofit providing mentoring and scholarships, and the National Forum of Black Administrators. During his tenure as a Vice Mayor, Mr. Gelin successfully lowered property taxes and passed a “Ban the Box” ordinance, which ended the discrimination against formerly incarcerated individuals in employment, housing, and public service. If elected, Vice Mayor Gelin plans to support small businesses, stimulate economic growth, and advocate for affordable housing.

 

• Mrs. Helen Lurry is running for Saint Lucie County Commission in District Four. Mrs. Lurry is a realtor, former educator, criminal justice professional, and first-generation American. She attended Bethune-Cookman University and received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice and received her Master’s Degree from the State University of New York at Albany.  If elected, Mrs. Lurry aspires to improve schools and the infrastructure in the district. 

 

• Mrs. Paula DeBoles-Johnson is running for Leon County Commission in District Five. Mrs. DeBoles-Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Capital City Youth Development Corporation, which is dedicated to youth development and empowerment through education, community service, and training. Currently, she serves as the Employee Engagement and Performance Manager for Leon County Government. If elected, Mrs. DeBoles-Johnson plans to invest in economic development by supporting small businesses and encouraging entrepreneurship opportunities, advocating for safe and affordable housing, increased youth development programs, and criminal justice reform. 

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC 

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state, and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward. Over the past five years, The Collective PAC has successfully helped 300 Black candidates win elections across the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, The Collective PAC — the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation, and power across all levels of government  —  congratulates all of our candidates in New York on their primary victories. 

Federal

• Ms. Jackie Gordon – is running to represent New York’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. For over 30 years, she has served as a dedicated educator in the New York City and Long Island Public School systems. Ms. Gordon currently serves as a guidance counselor at Wilson Technological Center in Farmingdale, where she mentors and advises Long Island high schoolers. 

State Legislature 

• State Senator Kevin Parker is running for re-election to the New York State Senate in District 21. State Senator Parker has been serving his district since 2002. He currently serves as the Majority Whip and Chair of the Energy and Telecommunications Committee. State Senator Parker has passed 91 bills into law and has 480 active bills. He has sponsored legislation that led to over 700,000 households being protected from owing $966 million in utility bills from service interruptions. If re-elected, State Senator Parkers plans to continue to advocate for workforce housing and affordable housing expansion, investing in education and sponsoring bills to make tuition books and fees free for New York State and City employees attending SUNY and CUNY universities, and ensuring that New Yorkers are connected to the 21st century through broadband. 

 

• Ms. Lea Webb is running for New York State Senate in District 53. Ms. Webb is a first-generation graduate of SUNY Broome and currently teaches diversity and inclusion training and programs at Binghamton University.  She’s also a national trainer with Vote Run Lead, training thousands of women across the country on how to run for elected offices, and is the Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Black Millennial Political Convention. Ms. Webb formerly served as a Binghamton City Councilmember, and understands the need for continued civic engagement, creating new job opportunities, and advocating for her community. If elected, she aims to increase jobs, uplift small businesses, and advocate for health care expansion. 

 

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC 

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward. Over the past five years, The Collective PAC has successfully helped 300 Black candidates win elections across the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, The Collective PAC  — the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation, and power across all levels of government — endorsed Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune and Corey Jones in state and local races in Rhode Island.

• Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune is running for mayor of  Providence, Rhode Island. She has served the Third ward as councilwoman for five years and as the Assistant Director of The Scholars Programs and Diversity Initiatives at Brown University. Councilwoman LaFortune made history in 2017 by becoming Rhode Island’s first Haitian American to serve in an elected office. Councilwoman LaFortune aspires to invest in education, expand housing, and create an accessible economy. If elected, Councilwoman LaFortune will be the first woman and Black mayor of Rhode Island.

 

• Mr. Corey Jones is running for Providence City Council in Ward Three. As a former educator, political, and executive director of Black Lives Matter RI PAC, Mr. Jones understands the importance of investing in the community through education and addressing social justice through protests. If elected, Mr. Jones will aim to invest in year-round youth educational programs, create pipelines to jobs instead of incarceration, and usher in a city-level green new deal. 

 

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC 

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state, and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward. Over the past five years, The Collective PAC has successfully helped 300 Black candidates win elections across the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, The Collective PAC  — the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation, and power across all levels of government — congratulates Aramis Ayala on winning her primary for Attorney General in Florida. 

Ms. Aramis Ayala is running for Attorney General in Florida. Ms. Ayala is a civil rights advocate and former Florida State Attorney. She served as a public defender and Assistant State  Attorney for almost 15 years, before leading as the State Attorney of Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit. Ms. Ayala created history by becoming the first Black state attorney in  Florida; she will once again be breaking racial barriers if elected, and she will be Florida’s first Black woman Attorney General. Ms. Ayala plans to advocate for voting, civil, and reproductive rights and give a voice to all Floridians. 

Founders of The Collective PAC, Quentin James and Stefanie Brown James, released the following statement:

“The Collective PAC is proud to congratulate Aramis Ayala on winning her historic primary for Attorney General in Florida. Ms. Ayala is one step closer to creating history once again by breaking racial barriers as the first Black Woman Attorney General in Florida. She has a proven track record of diversion programs for non-violent youth, investigations into wrongful convictions, relentlessly pursuing justice for hate crimes and gun violence, including prosecuting for the Pulse NightClub shooting, and publishing a Brady List of police officers for advanced transparency for the community. As attorney general, we know she will fight tirelessly and fearlessly for systematic change that supports, uplifts, and progresses the lives of all Floridians. We are excited to support Aramis Ayala as she advances to the November ballot and makes history and generational progress in Florida.”

 

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC 

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward. Over the past five years, The Collective PAC has successfully helped 300 Black candidates win elections across the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, The Collective PAC — the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation, and power across all levels of government  —  congratulates Congresswoman Val Demings on her primary victory.

Congresswoman Val Demings is running to represent Florida in the United States Senate. Congresswoman Val Demings has dedicated her entire career to serving others; first as a social worker and then as a police officer in the Orlando Police Department. If elected, Congresswoman Demings will make history as the first Black person and the second woman to serve as a U.S. Senator from Florida.

Founders of The Collective PAC, Quentin James and Stefanie Brown James, released the following statement:

“The Collective PAC proudly congratulates Congresswoman Val Demings on her historic primary victory in Florida. It’s important now more than ever for us to elect leaders who are committed to criminal justice reform, safeguard voting rights, and ensure government officials are held accountable for unethical behavior. Congresswoman Demings is the changemaker that the U.S. Senate needs to move progressive policies forward. We are proud to be helping Congresswoman Val Demings make history as the first Black person and the second woman to serve as a U.S. Senator from Florida.” 

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC 

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state, and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward. Over the past five years, The Collective PAC has successfully helped 300 Black candidates win elections across the United States.