Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, a 40-year-old Democrat born in Duque de Caxias, Brazil, has been elected to represent a district in Florida’s state legislature. He will be the first Brazilian to hold a seat in the Florida Legislature and the first openly gay immigrant elected to a U.S. state legislature. He is also the first former recipient of DACA to serve in a state legislature.
Sousa-Lazaballet defeated Republican Bonnie Jackson in the U.S. midterm elections, which concluded on Tuesday, November 3. His campaign priorities include tackling the rising cost of living, expanding access to affordable housing, strengthening public school funding and improving access to healthcare.
He arrived in the United States at 14 and spent about 15 years without regular immigration status. At 26, he received work authorization through DACA, a federal program created during Barack Obama’s presidency that offered temporary protection from deportation to eligible immigrants who had arrived in the country before turning 16.
Sousa-Lazaballet obtained a green card through a family petition and became a U.S. citizen in 2021. He has worked with organizations supporting immigrants and LGBTQ+ people, and spent five years in Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s administration.
In an interview with g1, he said his Republican opponent had criticized him for being an immigrant and for having lived in Florida for 10 years. He said he believes voters view his personal journey positively, and described his experience as an immigrant as a reason he became involved in politics to help others and pursue social change.
Sources: G1.