We are endorsing Byron Donalds for Governor of Florida.
I don’t make endorsements because somebody sends us a campaign press release, shakes my hand at an event or gives a good speech. After more than 60 years of my family publishing community newspapers in Miami-Dade, I’ve learned that you have to watch people. You have to listen to them. You have to ask questions. Most importantly, you have to see how they handle themselves when the cameras are gone. My family has built this business in the communities we cover. We are a locally owned, second-generation family business with 11 newspapers and about 35 shows a week. We host candidates, business owners, community leaders and residents because we believe people should be able to sit across the table from the people asking for their vote.
Over the past year, I’ve attended about 10 Byron Donalds events in Miami-Dade. We also hosted him three times ourselves — one breakfast and two lunches — and the rooms were full every time. But a full room doesn’t make an endorsement. What matters is what happens when people start asking questions. I watched Donalds with business owners, community leaders and residents. I watched how he answered questions he didn’t choose. I watched whether he listened and whether he gave people real answers. After seeing him again and again, I believe he earned our endorsement.
We also opened our doors to the Democratic ticket. David Jolly and Gwen Graham, both former members of Congress, recently joined us as guest speakers at one of our meet-and-greets. They took questions, spent time with the people in the room and made their case, and I appreciate them for doing it. Our doors are open to both parties. That is what community journalism should be. But an endorsement means you have to make a choice. After watching both sides, talking with them and listening to the issues that matter to Miami-Dade, we are endorsing Byron Donalds for Governor and Bryan Ávila for Lieutenant Governor.
1. Donalds shows up.
Politicians can say anything in a television commercial. They can have somebody write a speech. They can stand behind a podium and read the right words. I’m more interested in what happens when a business owner has a problem, when a resident challenges a candidate or when somebody simply wants a straight answer. I have watched Donalds do that over and over. He is human. He talks to people. He takes questions. He doesn’t come across like somebody who has been programmed to give the same answer every time. After seeing him at roughly 10 events, including three we hosted ourselves, I know what I saw.
2. He understands Florida’s growth.
Florida is growing, and Miami-Dade knows it better than almost anybody. More people means more pressure on roads, schools, housing, insurance and local government. Growth is good when we manage it correctly. Growth becomes a problem when government simply watches it happen. Donalds has made economic growth, affordability and opportunity major parts of his campaign. For Miami-Dade, those aren’t campaign buzzwords. We deal with these issues every day. The next governor needs to understand that Florida cannot simply keep getting bigger without making sure our infrastructure, schools, housing and economy can keep up.
3. He understands business.
I’ve spent decades talking with Miami-Dade business owners. They don’t want government running their businesses. They want government to let them run their businesses. They want to open their doors, hire people, expand, make payroll and stay competitive. Small businesses are the backbone of Miami-Dade, and I believe the governor needs to understand that government doesn’t create every job — businesses do. Donalds talks about economic opportunity and small business in a way that connects with the people we talk to every week. That matters.
4. Public safety and accountability matter.
Safe neighborhoods are not a luxury. Families need them. Businesses need them. Visitors need them. Miami-Dade is one of the most important communities in Florida, and people need to feel safe when they leave their homes, go to work, open a business or visit our county. Government also has to be accountable for how it spends taxpayer money. I’ve spent years writing about local government, and I’ve watched budgets grow and promises get made. At the end of the day, taxpayers deserve results. Public safety and accountability have to remain priorities in Tallahassee.
5. Bryan Ávila gives Miami-Dade a seat at the table.
This one is personal. Bryan Ávila is one of ours. He was born and raised in Hialeah, represented Miami-Dade in Tallahassee and has built a record of public service in Florida. He also serves in the Florida Army National Guard and has risen to the rank of captain. Having someone from Miami-Dade on the ticket matters. Too often, Miami-Dade is talked about from Tallahassee instead of being represented in the room where the decisions are made. Ávila knows this community. He knows our businesses, our neighborhoods and our people. Having him on the ticket gives Miami-Dade a direct connection to the governor’s office.
This endorsement was earned.
I’ve watched Byron Donalds up close. Not once. Not twice. Again and again. We hosted him. We asked him questions. We watched him with business owners and community leaders. We watched him with regular people who wanted his attention. He kept showing up, and he kept answering. After more than 60 years in the community newspaper business, I know endorsements are easy to give and harder to defend. This one I’m comfortable defending.
Miami’s Community Newspapers endorses Byron Donalds for Governor and Bryan Ávila for Lieutenant Governor.
That is our call, and we are standing behind it.
Grant Miller is the publisher of Miami’s Community Newspapers.
