Candidate response: CJ Czaia, Florida House, District 70

Editor’s note: The Bradenton Herald allows candidates who did not receive the Editorial Board’ recommendation the opportunity to respond.

CJ Czaia, Florida House, District 70

Frankly we are astounded by this endorsement. CJ is the only candidate who has been a part of the Manatee County community for years. While the Herald touts the Sarasota mayor and vice mayor’s endorsements of Wengay Newton, CJ has been endorsed by former Mayors Fredd Atkins and Kelly Kirschner, Manatee County Commissioner Charles Smith, Ward 5 Councilman Harold Byrd Jr., and the Manatee Sarasota Democratic Black Caucus of Florida, amongst other community leaders in Manatee.

Wengay is the only candidate in this primary race to not receive the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida’s endorsement, hardly a vote of confidence that he will bring meaningful changes to this community.

CJ has already been working for the people of Manatee, both in the past as a founder of Unidos Now, a public defender, former head of the Manatee County Democratic Party, and a member of the Palmetto CRA, and in the present while campaigning.

After attending a St. Petersburg City Council meeting to hear Pinellas County Sherriff Gualtieri’s APAD program proposal, the only candidate to do so, CJ immediately reached out to Manatee County State Attorney Ed Brodsky and called on him and Sherriff Brad Steube to examine the proposal and see how it could be implemented in a form that works for Manatee.

When the Manatee LGBTA Democratic Caucus hosted a debate on Wednesday night, Wengay wasn’t even there, sending a proxy who cited a “previous campaign commitment” as the reason Wengay would not attend. If Wengay can’t even make Manatee a priority while he is campaigning to win your votes, how can you trust him to be here as your representative?

This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Candidate response: CJ Czaia, Florida House, District 70."