Juan Cuba leaves Dade Dems for union job, doing the same

Juan Cuba leaves Dade Dems for union job, doing the same
  • Sumo

A new year, and a new job for Miami-Dade Democratic Party Executive Director Juan Cuba, who quit Juan Cubathe job he’s had for two years to join big labor as a political strategist for the Service Employees International Union.

Cuba, who takes too much credit for the victories of Homestead Mayor Jeff Porter and Miami-Dade Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, will continue to work in Miami-Dade for the SEIU’s state council. He probably got to better know the labor political team over the course of these two campaigns, since labor involvement was heavy in both, especially in Levine-Cava’s race against longtime labor foe Lynda Bell.

“It has been an incredible honor and privilege to work with all of you,” Cuba posted on Facebook earlier this month, plugging both the former chair, Annette Taddeo — who resigned to serve as Charlie Crist‘s running mate in the campaign for governor they just lost — and Sen. Dwight Bullard, who took over, allegedly.

Read related story: Jose Javier Rodriguez hangs on despite Danny Boy’s dough

Apparently, Cuba is not leaving because he’s upset that they practically abandoned him after firstAnnette Taddeo, Democrats encouraging him to run against none other than State Rep. Jose Felix “Selfie King” Diaz. Cuba was beaten 2 to 1, but 33% of the vote is still sorta respectable for a newbie Dem with zero name recognition in a GOP-dominated midterm year. Diaz, if he’s as strong as everyone thinks, should have kept Cuba at 12% or so.

Here’s the rest of his statement.

“I’m especially thankful to have worked with so many amazing people: two great Chairs, Annette Taddeo and Dwight Bullard; a talented staff; a dedicated steering committee; amazing donors; hard working DEC members; and our progressive partners and allies. We have done some great things together — electing a strong progressive in Daniella Levine Cava to the county commission, defeating Mark Bell in Homestead, partnering with the coalition to save our libraries from the Mayor’s budget cuts, expanding our donor base, and much more. We did it together.

“I’m not going far. In the new year I will be starting a job with SEIU State Council responsible for political strategy in Miami-Dade. In that role I’m looking forward to continuing our work to build a lasting progressive movement in Miami. Onward.”

It is probably for the best that he left out that little defeat of Congressman Joe Garcia, which is where the Dade Dems really should have been busting their butts, rather than the non-partisan city races and the “No Free Rides” challenges of seven incumbent state reps — all of whom didn’t just lose but were designed to lose and very well could have helped turn out the GOP vote for Gov. Rick Scott.

Read related story: ‘Fat Chance’ Dems in full House challenge doing next to nada

Ladra is almost 100% sure that Cuba, who we believe still wants a job with the Dems presidential campaign in 2016, left those tidbits off his resumé.

We wish him well in 2015 and hope he can use his new gig to better hold electeds’ feet to the fire.

6 Responses to "Juan Cuba leaves Dade Dems for union job, doing the same"

  1. As long as the voters believe the idiots running as well as the lamestream media Dems are guaranteed a win.

    The most uneducated voters in history make up the Democratic Party. Hands up, we are idiots should be their slogan.

  2. With all due respect neither Juan Cuba, nor any Democrat (except J.J. Rodriguez) could have overcome the Repub wave that swept the country. It was a mid term election (usually favoring party out of White House). Local labor’s strategy was the most feasible given the political environment and the money on the other side. Rick Scott alone put $22 million of his (stolen from Columbia/HCA) money into the campaign at the last minute to win. If Rick Scott colud get re-elected. You know this was a bad election for Dems, and as you stated, if a repug like Diaz can’t keep a newboe like Cuba under 20%. you know no other Dem was going to do well in this cycle. So this battle did not go as planned, but the Dems survived to fight in ’16. Let’s hope their strategy is being prepped and honed for the next cycle, because I think many Repugs at all levels will be ripe for the picking.

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