From Havana to DC: The Rise of Cuban Americans in Florida Politics

The following is an excerpt from From Havana to DC: The Rise of Cuban Americans in Florida Politics, a book authored by Carlos F. Orta, a current student in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program at Georgetown SCS. Chapter 9 is where he details how Cuban American members of the Florida House of Representatives gained power in Tallahassee. The section is titled “When is a Betrayal not a Betrayal.”

Chapter 9: Tall Tales From Tallahassee

The first story is the most important one. Why? Because from my point of view, it really sets up how Cuban Americans gained power in Tallahassee. What happened at the state Capitol in the fall of 1988 no doubt reverberated at the local and national level.

Politically speaking, for the Cuban Americans in the Florida Legislature, in my opinion, the election of State Representative Tom Gustafson (D-Broward) as Speaker of the Florida House in 1988 was the most pivotal moment these Cuban American legislators had faced in Tallahassee. For some background, the 1998 general election brought additional Cuban Americans to the Florida House.

From Havana to DC: The Rise of Cuban Americans in Florida Politics

George H. W. Bush was elected President of the United States after an 8-year run as President Ronald Reagan’s Vice President. In Florida, although the legislature was still in the hands of Democrats, there was a shift in the air; the state was becoming more conservative, more Red. And in fact, the Florida Senate split evenly after the 2000 general election: 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans. In 1988, prior to the general election, there were seven Cuban Americans in the Florida House of Representatives.

In the summer before the 1988 November general election, there was an attempt by some conservative Democrats, led by Rep. Carl Carpenter (D-Plant City), to join forces with some moderate Republicans and steal the Speakership from Gustafson, who claimed to have the 68+ Democrat votes he needs. Dale Patchett (R-Vero Beach), the House Minority Leader at the time, said the GOP could work out a deal with Carpenter.

Unbeknownst to Representatives Carpenter and Patchett, the Cuban Americans did not want to betray the Grand Old Party (GOP) and vote for a Democrat for Speaker, no matter how conservative he was. And this was decided at a late-night meeting, on Election night, with Gustafson himself.

Here’s the brilliant part: the Cuban Americans worked out a deal with Gustafson to gain seats on the House Appropriations committee, on other committees as Vice Chairs, and having their own Caucus office, just like the African American members had. The icing on the cake was a promise by Gustafson that he would support the various projects the seven Cuban American legislators might want included in the state’s budget; and give them advice regarding how they might better navigate the appropriations process as a group.

Once this came to light, the Florida GOP party leaders were furious with the Cuban Americans. Can you blame them? I once read a quote that has always stuck, “Power is not given, it is taken.” This would be the case here. The way they (GOP leaders) saw it was if the seven Cubans had voted with the GOP and Carpenter’s group – AND NOT BETRAYED THEM – the GOP and Dale Patchett would have had de facto “control” of the Florida House for the first time in years.