Hernández would be the first Latina Democratic lieutenant governor of Florida
Johanna López would be the first Latina elected to represent HD-43
Washington, D.C. – Latino Victory Fund announced the endorsement of Karla Hernández for Florida lieutenant governor. The organization is also endorsing Johanna López for House District 43.
Hernández is Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist’s running mate and, if elected, would be the first Democratic Latina lieutenant governor of Florida. López would be the first Latina elected to represent House District 43.
Latino Victory Fund President and CEO Nathalie Rayes Statement on Karla Hernández:
“Throughout her career, Karla has worked tirelessly to advance Florida’s public education system, becoming a dedicated advocate for children and teachers with a proven record. She’s the daughter of Honduran immigrants with strong, deep roots in the Latino community. Her statewide candidacy will resonate with Florida’s powerful Latino electorate because she knows her community and the issues they care about, including access to high-quality education and affordable health care, good job opportunities, and the economy. Latino Victory Fund is proud to support Karla and looks forward to helping her make history in November.”
Meet Karla Hernández:
- Hernández is the president of the United Teachers of Dade, the largest teachers union in the southeastern United States.
- Prior to becoming president, she served as UTD’s secretary/treasurer from 2013 to 2016. In 2018, Hernández led the charge to mobilize teachers and the Miami-Dade community, helping pass Referendum 362, an initiative the United Teachers of Dade put forth to give public school teachers a salary raise and improve security in schools.
- In July 2019, Hernández was recognized by Miami Today as part of its Achiever Series for her work in advancing public education throughout the Miami-Dade community.
- Hernández serves on the Florida Education Association Governance Board, the FEA Executive Cabinet, the Florida AFL-CIO’s executive board, the Children’s Trust’s executive board and the Education Fund’s executive board, and she serves as the chairperson of the AFT’s Women’s Rights Committee.
- Before dedicating her life and career to advocating for public education, Hernández expressed her love for public service in the classroom, where she taught for more than 10 years. In 2010, she was selected as Teacher of the Year at Hialeah Middle School for her outstanding work with special needs children.
- To learn more about Hernández, click here.
Meet Johanna Lopez:
- López, originally from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, is a Member of the Orange County School Board, where she has represented District 2 since 2018.
- Before then, López was an Advanced Placement Spanish teacher at Colonial High School, where, for twenty years, she made a tremendous impact in the lives of thousands of students inside and outside of the classroom.
- Her professionalism and commitment to the students’ well-being allowed her to become the Orange County Teacher of the Year in 2017. She is, among others, also a recipient of the Governor’s Shine Award for Inspirational Teachers, the Queen Smith Award for Commitment to Urban Public Education, and the Life Changer of the Year award.
- López holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Studies from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master of Arts in Higher Education from the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico. She moved to Orlando in 1998, where she first worked at a car wash and then at a fast-food restaurant. She is the mother of four young adults and has lived in the district for almost twenty-five years.
- To learn more about Johanna Lopez, click here.
*This press release was sent on Oct. 05, 2022.
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The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political action committee with the mission of growing Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government – from the school board to the Senate to the White House.
