Diverse slate of Dems line up to replace Florida Rep. Meek

 One of the most racially diverse congressional districts in the country has a plethora of minority candidates running to replace Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.).

Meek’s Miami-area district has an African-American majority and the largest Haitian population of any district in the country — along with a significant Hispanic population.

Several black and Haitian Democrats have entered the race, and others are considering a bid. Insiders say the deciding factor could come down to who can consolidate a base of support among voters of similar backgrounds while poaching voters from other groups.

“It’s really hard to handicap this race because the district has a lot of personality to it,” said one party insider. “It has a lot of different populations; many of the candidates are very strong in one section, and you could see each one mobilizing that one section effectively.”

 Those candidates have wasted little time announcing their interest.

B.J. Chiszar, the chairman of the Miami-Dade County Democrats, said the field continues to grow. “I’m expecting nine candidates,” he said. “Everyone in the community is talking like it’s going to be something like that.”

 So far, eight candidates are either running or said to be strongly considering it.

State Sen. Frederica Wilson, Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson and Miami Gardens City Councilman André Williams, who are all African-American, are definitely running, as is former state Rep. Phillip Brutus, who is Haitian-American.

Haitian community activist Marleine Bastien and state Rep. Yolly Roberson, who is also Haitian, have told party insiders that they are going to run. State Rep. James Bush and Opa-Locka Mayor Joseph Kelley are said to be in the mix as well.

 The candidates will work quickly to stake their claim to parts of the district, which is 55 percent African-American and has the lowest number of registered Republicans of any Florida district.

Some observers think the Haitian community may rally behind one candidate, and Bastien — though she has never held elective office — and Roberson are considered to be the natural leaders.

 Others note that tactics and the ability of candidates to appeal across ethnic lines will be pivotal in the race.

Since there is no runoff, in a large field the winner could emerge with just 25 to 30 percent of the vote in what is anticipated to be a low-turnout August primary.

State Rep. Ronald Brisé (D), who was initially mentioned as a potential candidate, noted that under those rules, picking off voters who naturally align with rivals could determine the outcome.

 “In this race, you are going to have to fight to keep your base,” he said. “Whoever keeps the largest percentage of their base and crosses over to field the largest percentage of someone else’s will end up winning. It will really become anyone’s race and it will come down to tactics.”

 Already, though, Wilson appears to have emerged as the front-runner. Known for always wearing a hat, Wilson has an oversized personality that resonates with voters.

Wilson’s state Senate district covers almost the entire congressional district, and she also has followed Meek’s career almost in its entirety: She won Meek’s state House seat when he vacated it to run for the state Senate, then took his state Senate seat when he left it to run for U.S. Congress.

 On top of that, Wilson launched the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence program. The program identifies young men who are at risk of dropping out of school and mentors them. The program has provided more than $5 million in scholarships to students and, as she noted, those children and their parents recognize her service to the community.

As a result of the program’s success, some say Wilson has created something of a political machine. “She’s got an army of people who are fiercely loyal to her,” said one insider.

 Wilson downplayed the idea that she has some sort of machine ready and even chuckled at the suggestion.

“I’m going to run on my record,” she said. “I have an exemplary record of helping those who cannot help themselves and for speaking up for those that have no voice. The people in the community see me as a fighter, as a civil rights warrior.”

 But party insiders cautioned against labeling any candidate as the favorite. Roberson, they noted, represents a state House district that has a large African-American population and she has a good relationship with that community as well as the Haitian community, of which she is part.

 They also noted that either candidate from Miami Gardens, Gibson or Williams, could be formidable. Miami Gardens is the biggest city in the district and is considered one of the largest African-American hubs in the South. If either Gibson or Williams is able to pick up a significant number of those voters in a low-turnout primary, it could be enough to win.

 Gibson said she is counting on her constituents in the city. “You are always looking to get support from your base,” she said. “And we have a large base in Miami Gardens. My track record will lend itself to doing very well when it comes to the base we have here.”

 The big question right now is whether Meek, who is running for the Senate, and/or his mother, Carrie, who held the seat before him and who remains very popular in the district, will endorse a candidate. So far, neither has indicated that they will.

 Williams, who is the only candidate to file official papers to form a campaign, downplayed the racial aspects of the race.

“It’s an interesting dynamic, but you must know that this district is very racially diverse,” he said. “With all due respect to my Haitian brethren, a mainstream candidate that can appeal to all of these groups is going to win this congressional race.”