Lucia Báez-Geller has spent her career serving South Florida families — first as a teacher at Miami Beach High School, then as a Miami-Dade County School Board member, and now as a candidate for the Florida House. She understands what families are dealing with because she has spent years working directly with students, parents, teachers and our community.

That record of service is why Miami Community Newspapers supports Lucia Báez-Geller for State Representative in District 106.

Lucia built her career around education and community service. She earned her undergraduate degree from Spring Hill College and a master’s degree in English Education and an Education Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida International University. She spent fifteen years in the classroom before being elected to the Miami-Dade County School Board in 2020.

What stands out about Lucia is that she knows how government decisions affect people in their everyday lives. Lucia has taught and worked with families who are struggling to afford the skyrocketing cost of living. Lucia will tackle the property insurance and affordability crisis the same way she fought for safer schools and teacher pay raises. Her campaign also identifies sea-level rise and resilience as important issues for a district that includes coastal communities.

Lucia also brings a personal understanding of the American dream. She is the daughter of immigrants and was the first in her family to graduate from college. That background, combined with her years as an educator and School Board member, gives her a perspective that is deeply connected to the families she wants to represent.

This is an important election for the residents from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles. Lucia won the Democratic primary and will face Republican incumbent Fabián Basabe in November. As we have noted here before , on July 15 a jury found Mr. Basabe liable for sexual harassment, battery and defamation. A judge awarded the victims, young men who worked for Mr. Basabe, $450,000.00. Mr. Basabe promised two years ago to resign if the jury found him liable for sexual harassment.

At Miami Community Newspapers, we believe public service should be about showing up, doing the work and understanding the community you represent. Lucia Báez-Geller has already spent years doing that work. 

She has been in our schools. She has worked with our families. She has sat at the table dealing with real community issues. And now she is asking voters for the opportunity to take that experience to Tallahassee.

Miami Community Newspapers wholeheartedly supports Lucia Báez-Geller for State Representative.

She has a record of service, she knows the community and she is ready to get to work for the people of District 106.