Dwight M. Bullard

Last updated
Dwight Bullard
Dwight Bullard.jpeg
Member of the Florida Senate
from the 39th district
In office
November 6, 2012 –November 8, 2016

State Senator Bullard, on a trip with Black Lives Matter touring the Middle East, was photographed with a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, an organization listed on the State Department's list of designated terrorist organizations. [8] Those images were shared on social media by the group that coordinated Bullard’s trip. Bullard said that he did not know until after the West Bank trip that its tour guide, Mahmoud Jeddah, was affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. However, during the same trip Didier Ortiz, a Green Party candidate for the Fort Lauderdale City Council, posted on Instagram a photo of Jeddah and noted his PFLP affiliation. (Ortiz also said in another Instagram posting from the trip, from a checkpoint in Hebron, that “Zionism must be eradicated.”) [9] During his visit, Bullard also met with a co-founder of the BDS movement Omar Barghouti. [10]

In 2016, Florida passed a bill to prevent the state from doing business with companies participating in boycotts of Israel. Similar anti-BDS bills have also passed in a dozen other states across the country. [11] State Senator Dwight Bullard voted against the measure twice in the Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee, the only nay-voting Senator. [12] However the Bill passed through its committees and was subsequently passed by the Florida Senate in the 2016 session, where Bullard changed his vote to yes. [13] Bullard initially opposed the anti-BDS legislation because he viewed it as a violation of free speech that he said “screams un-American.” Bullard told The Electronic Intifada he was ultimately “bullied” into voting for the law. “It was the first time I felt pressured to vote in a particular way,” he recounted, adding, “there are probably three or four votes that I’ve taken in my tenure in the legislature that I’m very uncomfortable with having taken.” The anti-BDS vote “is easily in the top three,” he said. [14]

The Florida Elections Commission (FEC) fined Bullard $2,000 for two counts of filing incomplete reports in 2013 and 2014 after the Division of Elections sent him at least six letters asking him to update his reports. [15] Bullard's reports claimed he raised no money for his re-election campaign and he filed the form without a signature. The commission concluded that his actions were a "willful violation" and unanimously agreed to assess the fines. In May, the commission also fined Bullard $5,000 for five violations from 2013 to 2015 for also filing incomplete elections paperwork. [16] Bullard had been charged with failing to fix several incomplete reports — even after being told how to do so according to the commissioner's staff. Because Bullard knew of the problem and failed to act, he was found in “willful violation” of the law and fined $1,000 for each of five reports from 2013 to 2015. Bullard was unavailable for comment at the time of the investigation due to "out of country travel" according to the senator's staff. [17] Bullard, who serves as his own campaign treasurer, stated to the Miami Herald, "It has happened to me in the past. It's unfortunate. It's painful...They definitely sent notices out but, between session, the school year and campaigning, my priorities are focused on other things and I missed the deadlines." [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anitere Flores</span> Republican politician (born 1976)

Anitere Flores is a Republican politician from Miami, Florida. She served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives from 2004 to 2010. Subsequently, she served in the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2020. In the 2016–18 legislative session, Flores served as president pro tempore of the Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René García (politician)</span> American politician

René García is a Republican politician from Florida. He has served on the Miami-Dade County Commission since 2020, representing the Hialeah area. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008 and in the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Saunders (politician)</span> American politician

Ron Saunders is an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 120th District, which includes all of Monroe County and parts of Miami-Dade County, from 1986 to 1994 and again from 2006 to 2012. Saunders was born in Key West in 1954, to Jack A. Saunders, a state representative from 1960 to 1964 who served as a United States magistrate judge from 1978 to 1981. Saunders was a National Merit Scholar in high school and later attended the University of Florida, where he was a member of Florida Blue Key, graduating with his bachelor's degree in 1976 and Juris Doctor in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos A. Giménez</span> Cuban-American politician (born 1954)

Carlos Antonio Giménez is a Cuban-born American politician and retired firefighter serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 28th congressional district. He was redistricted from Florida's 26th congressional district. A Republican, he served as mayor of Miami-Dade County from 2011 to 2020. He served as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner from 2003 to 2011, and was the fire chief of the City of Miami Fire Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larcenia Bullard</span> American politician

Larcenia J. Bullard was an American politician and a Democratic member of the Florida State Senate, representing the 39th District, which included parts of Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties, from 2002 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 United States Senate election in Florida</span>

The 1970 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 3, 1970. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Spessard Holland decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term. During the Democratic primary, former Governor C. Farris Bryant and State Senator Lawton Chiles advanced to a run-off, having received more votes than Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Frederick H. Schultz, attorney Alcee Hastings, and State Representative Joel T. Daves III. Chiles soundly defeated Bryant in the run-off election, scoring a major upset due to his comparatively small name recognition prior to the election. To acquire name recognition and media coverage, Chiles walked about 1,003 miles (1,614 km) across the state of Florida and was given the nickname "Walkin' Lawton".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar Braynon</span> American politician

Oscar Braynon, II is an American Democratic politician from Miami Gardens, Florida. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2008 to 2011 and then in the Florida Senate from 2011 to 2020, representing parts of southern Broward and northern Miami-Dade County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Fresen</span> American politician

Erik Fresen is a former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 114th District, which stretches from West Miami to Cutler Bay in northeastern Miami-Dade County, from 2012 to 2016. He previously represented the 111th District from 2008 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Rivera</span> American politician (born 1965)

David Mauricio Rivera is an American Republican politician from Florida. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for one term, representing parts of South Florida from 2011 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 United States Senate election in Florida</span>

The 1994 United States Senate election in Florida was held November 8, 1994. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Connie Mack III won re-election easily, earning a second term and carrying every county in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miguel Díaz de la Portilla</span> American politician

Miguel Díaz de la Portilla is a Cuban-American attorney and politician from Florida. A Republican, he served in the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2016, representing parts of Miami, Coral Gables, and the surrounding area. Prior to that, he was a member of the Miami-Dade County Commission from 1993 to 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Artiles</span> American politician

Frank Artiles is a Cuban-American Republican politician from Florida. He served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing parts of Miami-Dade County from 2010 to 2016, before being elected to the Florida Senate in 2016. He resigned from the Senate on April 21, 2017, after using racial slurs and other profanities against fellow senators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggie Fullwood</span> American politician

Reginald "Reggie" Fullwood is former a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives. From 2010 to 2014 and 2015 to 2016, he represented downtown Jacksonville in central Duval County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kionne McGhee</span> American politician

Kionne L. McGhee is an American Democratic politician from Florida who has served as a member of the Miami-Dade County Commission since 2020. Previously, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2012 to 2020, representing south-central Miami-Dade County stretching from Richmond Heights to Florida City. He was the House Minority Leader for the 2018–20 legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Javier Rodríguez (Florida politician)</span> American attorney & politician (born 1978)

José Javier Rodríguez is an American politician and attorney from Florida. A Democrat, he served one term in the Florida Senate from 2016 to 2020, representing Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Key Biscayne, and downtown Miami in Miami-Dade County. He previously served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 112th district in Miami-Dade County from 2012 until his election to the Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne Campbell</span> American politician

Daphne Campbell is a former Democratic member of the Florida Senate who represented the 38th district, including Miami Beach, North Miami, and other parts of northeastern Miami-Dade County, since 2016. Previously, she served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 108th district from 2010 to 2016. She was defeated by Jason Pizzo in a primary election on August 28, 2018. She ran for Senate District 35 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States Senate election in Florida</span>

The 2018 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 6, 2018, alongside a gubernatorial election, elections to the U.S. House of Representatives and other state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson ran for re-election to a fourth term, but was narrowly defeated by Republican Governor Rick Scott. The election was the closest Senate race in the state's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida</span>

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the 27 U.S. representatives from Florida, one from each of the state's 27 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the U.S. Senate, and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida</span>

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the 28 U.S. representatives from Florida, one from each of the state's 28 congressional districts. The primary was held on August 23, 2022. The elections coincided with the 2022 United States Senate election in Florida, other elections to the House of Representatives, other elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ileana Garcia</span> American politician

Ileana Ydolia Garcia is a Republican politician from Florida, who serves as a member of the Florida Senate.

References

  1. ↑ Clark, Kristen (2016-06-23). "Miami-Dade senator: My opponent offered me $25,000 to get out of his way". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  2. ↑ "Dwight Bullard for Florida Senate 40". Dwight Bullard for Florida Senate 40. Archived from the original on 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  3. ↑ "The Herald recommends: OUR OPINION: State Senate District 39, House Districts 100, 102". Miami Herald. July 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Bullard for Senate: OUR OPINION: Bullard has strong support in District 39". Miami Herald. October 16, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Cyberbullying Bill Passes Senate Committee Without a Fight". Sunshine State News. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Law opens up funding for virtual schools". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  7. ↑ "2016 Florida Election Watch - State Senate". enight.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  8. ↑ United States Department of State
  9. ↑ "In linking Black Lives Matter with Palestinians, Miami lawmaker riles pro-Israel activists". The Times of Israel .
  10. ↑ "In linking Black Lives Matter with Palestinians, Miami lawmaker riles pro-Israel activists". The Times of Israel .
  11. ↑ "Miami United Against BDS Calls on State Senator Dwight Bullard to Resign and End Bid for Reelection Following Meeting with Terrorist Group and BDS Leaders" (Press release). 19 August 2016.
  12. ↑ https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2016/0086/Vote/2015-10-06 1000AM~S0086 Vote Record.PDF
  13. ↑ https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2016/0086/Vote/SenateVote_s0086c2004.PDF [ bare URL PDF ]
  14. ↑ "Israel lobby smears Black lawmaker for meeting Palestinians". 24 August 2016.
  15. ↑ http://www.fec.state.fl.us/FECWebFi.nsf/0/CD41A209EE882B2085258009006F7CA8/$file/14-048+Bullard,+Dwight_Redacted.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  16. ↑ http://www.fec.state.fl.us/FECWebFi.nsf/0/F92DADCCD13CD36F85257FB00052D669/$file/15-350+Bullard,+Dwight_Redacted.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  17. ↑ "Dwight Bullard fined $5K for campaign violations". 18 May 2016.
  18. ↑ "Elections commission fines Dwight Bullard $2,000 for failing to amend his treasurer's reports | Naked Politics".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.