Replacing Grant to run for the now-open seat is Republican lawyer Traci Koster, who was reported by Florida Politics last month as having a five-point lead over Harrington, according to St. Pete Polls survey data.
This slight lead has done nothing to deter Harrington, however—nor her dedicated, bipartisan base of supporters, which has only grown in size over the last two years of her campaign.
As a teacher and proud union member, Harrington has received a wide range of local, state, and national endorsements in support of her people-powered campaign. On her website, Harrington describes herself as a “fierce advocate for working families,” with a comprehensive platform that includes, among other things, expanding Medicaid for an estimated 800,000 eligible Floridians; fighting governmental corruption in Tallahassee; advocating for environmental justice; and working to restore voting rights under Amendment 4—the Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative which passed in 2018 with 64% of the total vote.
Her Republican opponent Koster, on the other hand, is unbothered by the continued efforts to undermine Amendment 4—unsurprising, considering Jamie Grant has stopped just shy of formally endorsing Koster for his former seat. Koster opposes state Medicaid expansion, and praised Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’s leadership and decision-making skills as recently as late last month, when—during a Tampa Tiger Bay Forum—Koster said the governor “did a great job handling COVID-19.”
The families and loved ones of the near-15,000 Floridians who have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic—and those struggling to navigate Florida’s broken unemployment system—might disagree.
Florida House District 64 spans parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, and despite leaning slightly Republican, Harrington—and her supporters—believe 2020 is the year that the Republican seat can be flipped blue—in part, by finding common ground across party lines.
What gives you confidence that the Florida House District 64 seat is flippable, as a seat you described in a recent tweet as a "safe red district."
JH: What I was referring to in that tweet was perception. People have had the perception that District 64 was safe red. In 2010, when James Grant first won the seat, he won with 59% of the vote. The years following, the Democrats didn't even challenge him. He was able to just win year after year without opposition. The only explanation for that, is that people thought the district was a "safe red district."
In 2018, Grant only won by 51% of the vote. It definitely is not safe anymore, and we proved it by challenging him. Now, two years later, it's an OPEN seat and the demographics have changed. We will prove that when we win this seat on November 3rd.
Have you attempted to cross the aisle to earn the vote of Republican (and Independent) voters? And if so, what has your pitch to these voters been?
JH: Absolutely. Voters in this district are tired of the games that Tallahassee plays. We have support on all sides of the aisle. Republican and Independent voters are not only voting for us, but are volunteering with us!
The great thing is, I don't really need a pitch. They know that I am a teacher (TEACHER OF THE YEAR from Smith Middle School, located inside our district) and that I will work for everyone, not just those I agree with. I can't think of a better profession to bring unity to a district than a teacher. I work in the classroom everyday with students from all walks of life. I work with parents with all kinds of different beliefs. This district has never had a representative that actually cares about the people living in the district. When I am elected, that is exactly what the community will get.
Do you think there is common ground that can be found across party lines as it concerns the most pressing needs of your district? And do you think there are some issues that are just too divisive?
JH: I think there is always a way to find common ground. The problem with this Legislature is that the majority party has been in power for so long, they forget what compromise means. There are many bills that get passed by the Republicans that were actually the ideas of Democrats. I think that making sure our schools have the resources they need, and our environment is protected are non-partisan issues, at least they used to be.
But when one side cares more about profit, power, and campaign contributions, everything becomes partisan. It's really sad actually. Take masks for example. I can't believe that became a partisan issue. Something that we know slows the spread of COVID and saves lives became partisan.
Can you name a memorable conversation you've had with a Republican voter during the course of your campaign?
JH: One of our Repbublican volunteers that lives in the District, and is also a gun safety advocate, told me that she voted for my former opponent because he had a R next to his name. But once she truly understood the damage he had done in the state of Florida, she was never going to do that again. I think if voters spent more time researching the candidates and not worrying about whether there is a "D" or an "R" next to the name, we would be in a much better place.
Has your campaign strategy shifted in any significant way since your run for the HD64 seat in 2018 against Republican Jamie Grant? If so, can you explain this shift?
JH: Not at all. We have been focused on talking to voters in our district about issues that matter to them. We did a district wide listening tour in 2019 to find out what the people of District 64 care about.
The people here care about health care. They care about the environment. They care about our schools and our children. These are issues that have been neglected in Tallahassee for years. Politicians come around and tell voters what they want to hear during election season and then they disappear. There are never town halls or community forums. There was no transparency on what bills were being voted on by our state rep. No wonder nobody knew who he was.
We plan on changing that. When elected, we will make sure to be in constant communication with the voters in our district so that they can be informed on what is happening and let me know how they want me to vote on issues. I'm excited to bring true representation to district 64.
What advantages do you believe you have over your Republican opponent in garnering majority support in a red district?
JH: I wouldn't call it a red district. I would call it a purple District! The advantages that we have are many. I ran in 2018, so I was on the ballot before and I have the name recognition that I didn't have two years ago. I have raised a quarter of a million dollars in mostly small dollar donations from people from our community and all over the country. I also have a strong message that resonates with voters from both sides of the aisle. We have been doing this work for years. Our community is ready for change, not more of the same.
Can you name one politician (local or otherwise) who has inspired your campaign and how you interact with HD64 voters?
JH: Representative Fentrice Driskell, who flipped neighboring District 63 in 2018, has always been a source of inspiration and guidance for me. She is someone that people look up to. Someone that can get along with anyone. She works tirelessly for her community. I will definitely want to bring that kind of work ethic to the Florida Legislature.
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This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2020.