Debbie Mucarsel-Powell Announces Campaign for U.S. Senate With A Promise to Fight for Floridians

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August 22, 2023

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Debbie Mucarsel-Powell Announces Campaign for U.S. Senate With A Promise to Fight for Floridians

First South American Immigrant Ever Elected to Congress, Mother, and Community Leader, Mucarsel-Powell Has Dedicated Her Life to Fighting for Floridians

Miami – Today, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate. With Floridians’ democracy, economy, and freedoms all on the line, Debbie is running on a promise to fight for Floridians — unlike Florida’s failed senator who puts himself first, Rick Scott.

“My mother brought me to this country so we could live in a nation with opportunities for all and where it doesn’t matter who you are, everyone has a chance to make it,” said Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. “I worked in my community for more than twenty years, expanding access to economic growth and affordable health care, and in Congress I wrote the bill to expand Medicare Advantage coverage for our seniors.

“Now, democracy is at stake. Rick Scott is trying to raise taxes on our families, he wrote a plan to end Social Security and Medicare coverage, and is trying to strip away abortion rights. Rick Scott is a fraud, and in Florida we know it. It will take all of us working together to defeat him, but that’s when we’re at our best; and everywhere I go I can feel this desire for change.”

Watch Debbie’s announcement video here:

Debbie’s story is a Florida story. She came to the U.S. from South America at 14, fleeing violence and searching for a better life. Her mom worked double shifts as a home health care worker while Debbie worked at a donut shop to make ends meet. She worked her way through high school and college, and then spent 20 years working in her community. In 2018, Debbie was the first South American immigrant ever elected to Congress and fought to ensure the opportunity that her family had to succeed here in America was there for every American.

In Congress, Debbie delivered for Floridians time and time again. She worked with Republicans to pass economic relief for small businesses. Debbie wrote the bill to expand Medicare Advantage for Floridians and she led the charge to secure $200 million to restore and protect the Everglades, one of the largest grants ever. And she’s stood up against brutal dictatorships in Cuba and Latin America, even serving as a special advisor to the 2022 Summit of the Americas.

After losing her father to gun violence, Debbie has worked tirelessly as an advocate for a safer Florida. Prior to Congress, Debbie was Associate Dean of the Florida International University School of Medicine, where she helped lead a program to improve access to affordable healthcare for Floridians.

Meanwhile, Rick Scott has failed Floridians. Instead of looking out for them, he puts himself and wealthy corporations above anything else. Rick Scott wants to raise middle class taxes, while cutting taxes for the ultra rich. He wrote the plan to take away Social Security and Medicare, pushing to raise costs for Floridians while he’s gotten tens of millions of dollars richer in office. And he supports a dangerous national abortion ban, even cosponsoring a bill that would criminalize doctors and nurses.

Scott’s record has left him vulnerable, and new polling shows Debbie is in a strong position to defeat him.

Highlights from the announcement video:

• “He’d strip away women’s rights with a national abortion ban. He cuts taxes for himself, but he’d raise them on you. He wrote the plan that could take away the Social Security and Medicare you worked and paid for. And he’s gotten tens of millions of dollars richer while so called ‘serving’ the people.”
• “I’m an immigrant, a Latina, a mother. And we made history together when I became the first South American immigrant ever elected to Congress. I’ve already fought guys like Rick Scott and beat them. I wrote the bill to expand Medicare, not take it away, because I know my mom and so many others depend on it.”
• “I lost my own father to gun violence. That’s why l fight every day to keep our children and our communities safe. And I’m not afraid to take on Rick Scott or anyone that doesn’t put Florida first.”

About Debbie Mucarsel-Powell

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell came to the U.S. from South America at a young age with her mom and sisters, fleeing violence and searching for a better life.

While her mother worked double shifts as a home health care provider, Debbie worked at a doughnut shop to help her family make ends meet. After working her way through high school and college, Debbie worked as Associate Dean at Florida International University’s Colleges of Health and Medicine. While at FIU, Debbie helped lead a program to expand access to affordable healthcare to more Floridians.

Serving in Congress, Debbie fought to expand opportunity for every American. Debbie wrote the bill to expand seniors’ Medicare Advantage coverage, and she worked with Republicans to provide economic relief to families and small businesses, and secured $200 million for Everglades restoration. When Debbie was 24, she tragically lost her father to gun violence, and she has been a lifelong advocate for reducing crime and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.

Now, Debbie is running for the U.S. Senate because our democracy, our economy, and our rights are all on the line — and Senator Rick Scott has failed Floridians. Florida is one of the least affordable states in the nation, but Senator Rick Scott wants to raise taxes on our families and end Social Security and Medicare coverage. As someone who takes care of her elderly mother, Debbie will always fight to protect Medicare, Social Security, and access to quality, affordable healthcare.

And while Rick Scott has pushed for a national abortion ban, and even introduced a bill that would criminalize doctors and nurses, Debbie will protect the rights of women and families and work to sign Roe v. Wade into law.

Debbie and her husband Robert live in Miami and have three children, Willow, Jude and Siena, two dogs, Spike and Kali, and a bunny named Ashanti.

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