colleague there. Two of the three are right here live next. expensive TNG network. The race
on the lineup is set. Qualifying
ended this week for. The race to
fill the House seat that became
vacant when the governor
appointed the incumbent
Miami-Dade County clerk.
District 118 is a slew of South
Miami-Dade, a swing district
that gone both Republican and
Democrat which makes this race
really interesting for everybody
. Two of the candidates of the
three are together here, a very
first District 118 combo
conversation. Republican Mike
Redondo, a personal injury
attorney in his own firm and a
first time candidate, Democrat
Johnny Furious, running for this
seat and electrician by trade, a
business owner and former
councilman. Welcome you both.
Frank de la Paz is actually an
independent candidate we thought
was going to be with us today
but is not. So maybe time. Did I
pronounce your name right? Yes,
you did. Very is not very us.
That was a yes. So? So nice to
meet you both and so nice to
have here. Since you were first
in the race, I would like to
start with you and I want to
give you just both a chance, not
a debate per se, yet maybe
closer to the December date. It
be sure. But right now, want to
let our viewers get a chance to
meet you and understand who you
are so who is Mike Redondo and
why are you here? Thanks so much
for having me. And honestly, I’m
a person who is born and raised
here in this district and
actually 118 and someone that
has always had an interest
politics. First time running for
office but know I was the son of
Cuban immigrants like many down
here in south Florida, I got to
experience firsthand what the
results of hard work and
opportunity lead to. And so when
this opportunity when
Representative King was
appointed to the clerk’s office,
it was something immediately,
you know, a chance to come home
and my district where I was born
and raised was something I
definitely wanted to do. And so
that’s how I got here, you know,
what you’re getting into, I at
this point? I like to think so,
yes. You know what you’re
getting into Johnny Various who
are you and why are you here?
Well, thank you for having us.
And the viewers for tuning in.
I’m a regular guy. I’m a former
Navy veteran. I’m a business
owner. I’m a business owner. I’m
I’m a working family man. Yeah.
And just like my neighbors, I’m
just tired of the state
legislature pounding us in order
to make it harder for us to pay
bills and just live our life.
I’m tired of it. And that’s why
I stepped in, you know? Thank
you. Segueing into really what I
want to get into I want to get
your sense both of you of what
you think the priorities of the
district are and not know
district voters are going to be
voting for you but everyone
watching this program the
calculus the math in the
legislature is dependent on
every single race makes this
really interesting for everyone
. The republic Party is the
superpower majority did the
work, chose What work to do
chose what passed we talked
about the what everyone calls
the culture, sort of sucking up
all the oxygen in the room. But
there was a lot of much more
work that was done on property.
Insurance was a big focus. And
yet what Republican legislature
did right now they think will
stabilize the market. But there
really no immediate relief and
that is one thing our viewers
say top priority. I want your
take on that and where are right
now and what your perspective is
and how to make it more
affordable? Sure. It’s a
question. It’s by far the
biggest issue that we’re hearing
in the district. People
especially those who are living
on fixed incomes and. Otherwise,
I mean, if your insurance rates
are going up 30% every year, you
reach a point where that’s just
not sustainable. In my law firm
, I mean, I deal with this
directly. I think that the
legislature did a good job in
terms of passing legislation
that I think will have in the
longer run. But certainly more
work to be done. And I think
insurance companies have to be
held accountable to the extent
that we’re seeing problems where
rates continuing to go up and
we’re not having that the
policies not being in terms of
what the people are actually
paying so accountability is
absolutely key point for you.
Absolutely And I know just by
virtue of your party, I’m going
to guess you have a vastly
different idea of what should be
done in legislating the property
insurance. Oh, of course. I mean
first, there’s a few things we
can do, but the two top that I
want to bring Tallahassee, when
I get there on, December 6th is
one, we’re going to invest more
money into the my state Florida
House program because just this
year it got halfway funded but
has been funded again since last
17 years. And what this program
does is it helps homeowners
envelope their home, which will
bring the rates down. We talk
about that program not not
enough, probably, but we have
talked about that. But as far as
the actual market for insurers.
Are you satisfied with has been
done? No That’s another thing.
We need to make sure that
insurance companies that give
like car insurance, if they want
to do work in the state of
Florida, they need to have some
kind of portfolio percentage of
home insurance. Also this is
open to the market and
enrollment more or insurance
opening market. How what?
Because now insurance companies
that didn’t give it before they
only did car insurance are going
to have to have some kind of
portfolio to home insurance. Oh,
I see. So Mandate that there’s
no cherry picking. What do you
think, Mike What do you think is
your priority for the district?
What are the big issues for the
district and for the state. And
do they match? Sure. I think
certainly the homeowner’s
insurance crisis is by far
biggest one. And I think that
would certainly something
that’s, you know, issue number
one for us. I think the other is
education as as people know,
just not their own children.
And, you know, their own
experiences in school, but
especially as we look to the
future, I mean, the economy of
Florida is dependent on us
having highly educated that can
get good jobs here in the state.
So I think continuing to make
sure that our students are
getting a good education that
prepares for the jobs of
tomorrow is another priority for
us. Once we get to Tallahassee.
And do you support the changes
in I mean, there are a lot of
changes in state education in a
very short amount of time from
the universal vouchers that we
have in state now to all the
guidelines on how to teach
things like race and sex
education, are you of those? I
can tell you that, you’re right.
There’s been a ton of changes,
but specific when it comes to
things like school choice and
vouchers mean I’m I was a
fortunate beneficiary myself I
was able to attend a magnet
program a public school Coral
Gables senior high that wasn’t
my home school and it was
essentially form of school
choice. So I think having a
school choice in place is
tremendously important, gives
parents that option. So
certainly when it comes to the
voucher program, I think been a
huge boon and I think we’ll see
a lot of payoff from that down
the road school choice comes in
a of different forms.
Absolutely. Johnny, what are
your what’s vision for the
priority, your priorities of the
district and for the state? And
do they match? Well, we have a
little different priorities, but
education is dear to my heart. I
raised five adult children and I
have two grandkids. So Oh, okay.
So I mean. Yeah. My life is by
far in my in district 18. We’re
not talking about what books our
kids can read. We’re talking how
we’re going to feed our kids
because right now, our inflation
in the state of Florida is a 9%
state national is 4. Okay That’s
all we need. We need to fix. So
people need to feed the we need
to make sure that people can
keep their homes. Since I since
I asked Mike, the education
changes that brought a big broad
question in a very short amount
of time before we hit the break.
Are you supportive of the
education changes so far that
you’ve seen. No, I’m not. I
mean, the governor passed passed
year ago or two years ago,
something about know that
parents have the right to do for
parents, for the kids and their
parents. Right. Right. But yeah,
but Now he wants to tell you
what they can do in school. I
know. So not supported by what’s
going on right now a very
concise answer as we head to a
break for 2 minutes. We will be
right back with more. The
right back with more. The candidate stating., beautiful co We are back, Johnny. Furious
Democrat Mike Redondo,
Republican running for the open
seat in District 118, Florida
House. December 5th is the
election. The conversation
starting here. I love being
first. I to really talk about we
mentioned the war type
legislation that headlined
everything out of Tallahassee
you know the state and the
nation rhetoric is very heated
there, is woke left in nation.
There is right wing extremism.
Those words we hear so often.
Mike, let me start you. Do you
do you buy that kind of rhetoric
as effective messaging? Where
are your. Sure. I think that
there’s certainly a room and a
big appetite in the district and
really the state for people to
try and get problem solved. And
I think very people want anybody
in a legislature any party to go
up to Tallahassee and just yell
I think that there’s a lot of
room for us to come together on
issues that will help South
Floridians and the rest of the
people in the state, especially
in the district, from what I’m
hearing, people don’t want me to
go to Tallahassee and just they
want us to work on real problems
and come up with real solutions.
So I certainly think that
there’s room compromise and
negotiate on a lot of issues.
Some issues certainly not. I
think there’s positions that we
all have but certainly I think
by and large, the goal is to get
things done, not just talk about
stuff. Would you be open to
saying on the record today that
you will not buy into that kind
of rhetoric? Yeah, I think my
look in the first time candidate
for office, I mean my background
has been seeing sides of issues
my entire career. I think where
we can find common ground, we
should and absolutely that’s
something I would do in
Tallahassee. Johnnie you I want
to get your take on it. Do you
buy that kind of rhetoric as you
it is effective messaging. We
see it works and would you would
you take that step back or. Are
you very passionate about it
being? An important part of
campaigning. Well, no, I don’t.
And in this district, I believe
we you know, we didn’t bold and
my constituents are more worried
the insurance and about
inflation is going on in fact
but I ran that up because I
actually write notes. I bring a
letter actually from a neighbor.
Okay. And these are things that
we’re discussing in my district
and I’m going to highlight you
and read you the part that
clearinghouse identifies a
private market willing to offer
you comparable one of the
estimated you know premium that
is not more than 20% greater
than you citizens renewal
premium the citizens policy will
not be renewed. We talk a lot
about that for anyone who is not
clued in on this, that’s citizen
citizens insurance shedding
policies because they need to be
able to afford it and cherry
picking that goes on with. The
companies can charge you 20%
more in your premiums. I just
wanted to make really clear and
so the kitchen table issues. Yes
and so would you would you go on
with us and say you will not
participate any of that really
heated rhetoric? Not on that,
because this is what’s important
this is what I’m going to fight
for the kitchen issue tables. So
let’s talk little bit before we
run out of time, a little bit
about the actual horse race
because we have we have a three
way race, I think. And Frank De
La Paz, the independent
candidate, may or may not be
very or actively campaigning, we
don’t know. But you just filed
few weeks ago your campaign
finance pages on. The website
are empty. There’s no
contributions, no expenditures
yet. So you haven’t is that
true. No, we started. Oh, so
give us a sense of report to the
end. Right, right, right. So
give us a sense since we can’t
see it publicly. What are your
supporters and must go to our
neighbors people. I have no
lobbyist. I have no money party.
I got regular people are
supporting me because this wants
a regular person it’s not about
whether you’re a Democrat, your
Republican. It’s about having
somebody that has raised their
children in the district. So let
me ask you this, is the
Democratic Party of Florida
actively going to be supporting
you? Have you coordinated with
them at. Yes, I have. I have
coordinated with. And, yes, they
are helping me. So The
Republicans are definitely
helping. You actually filed a
few months ago. So I can see
your first filings. You’ve got
$71,000 contributed so far. And
than a third of that is from
party and political. And so are
going to be people who will say
. To you, where are the regular
people, your campaign? Sure. And
I think there are obviously
dispersed within contributors. I
mean, we do have a broad base of
support. I’m very fortunate have
had support from the state party
and others. But to me, it’s
about as we’ve talked about,
sort of getting the done. And as
someone who’s not you know, I’ve
never been in office before, not
beholden to any groups or
anything like that, but I’m
always willing to talk to
people, hear what the issues
are. And I recognize that there
will be times where I need to
some form of education from an
expert in an industry but at no
point will we ever lose sight of
our constituents the people who
are actually going to be voting
to get us in. Would you ever see
yourself in Tallahassee as a
freshman voting against what
your party might want to vote
for? Certainly if there’s a
situation where, you know, if
there’s an issue that’s to hurt
my district and hurt my
constituents, that’s somehow,
you know, is true for some other
part of the state or something
might. Bring some benefit. I
mean, obviously, that’s a
conversation I would have with
leadership make sure that if
there’s some way to address it.
But at the end the day, if I
have a bill that I think is bad
for my district, I certainly
wouldn’t support. And if you
have a bill that is good or bad,
how would you go? I mean, if I
didn’t have a position one way
or the other, I’d certainly want
to work with leadership because
the way this though I’m not a
politician, the way I’ve learned
that this all works is you got
to go along, to get along
sometimes and certainly the
priorities that I do have for
the district I to make sure
those get attention as well
somehow when you file for office
you actually a politician. Yes
At this point, what Johnny what
do you think? If you were in
that seat in the big statehouse
and the vote came up and you
knew how the Democratic
leadership wanted you to vote
and you felt how would you
handle that? Well, first, I want
to comment on some indirect you
mentioned before. You know,
where are the regular people
that are donating? I’m going to
tell you mean it’s public
knowledge when you will be in
Republican Party, you got to
file rent and suit. And I
understand that because I 17 I
joined the navy and I did same
thing and this case any
Republican goes I’ve got to do
the same thing. So for you to
tell me or say to the viewers
that you’re going to get $40,000
and not file rent and soon. Come
on it’s not happening. Okay. Now
Me, I’m a regular guy. I’m 53
years old. I don’t need to be
told what to do. I am for the
Johnny Varias Mike Redondo. I
really look forward to the
actual debate we’re going to
have for when 18 we get closer
to that December date. And I
sure do appreciate your time and
you being us for our very first
118 conversation. Thank you.
Thank you thank you. Up next,
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