Politics & Government
Fernandez Wins Special Election For District 114 Seat
Tuesday's special election was called to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of former State Rep. Daisy Baez.
CORAL GABLES, FL — Democrat Javier Fernandez narrowly edged past his Republican challenger in Tuesday's special election to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of former State Rep. Daisy Baez. Fernandez bested Republican Andrew Vargas by a margin of 8,618 votes to 7,894. A third candidate, Liz de las Cuevas, received only 414 votes.
Baez was forced to step down amid a residency controversy in which she entered into a plea agreement with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office after being accused of falsifying her address to run for office in House District 114. She actually lives in a neighboring district.
Fernández is an attorney who previously served as chief of staff to the mayor of Miami. He attended St. Theresa School and Christopher Columbus High School where he played football before earning a full academic scholarship to attend Colby College in Maine, according to his campaign website.
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He went on to study law at the University of Miami where he graduated with honors while working part time, the website said.
"Javier will prioritize state investment in the areas of transportation and affordable housing to address both growing crises that threaten our quality of life," according to his website. "Finally, Javier will be an effective voice in the Florida House for state action to address the growing threat of climate change and more sensible gun reform."
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Javier is married to Dr. Anna Maria Patiño-Fernández, a clinical psychologist. The couple has two children — Susanna and Lucas.
Baez is barred from seeking public office for the next year. She was elected in 2016 to represent House District 114, which includes a portion of Coral Gables. She was charged with perjury when not in an official proceeding, a first degree misdemeanor.
As a further condition of her plea agreement, Baez is not eligible for an early termination to her probation. Baez actually lived in District 112, according to the State Attorney's Office.
Photo courtesy Fernández campaign
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