After Miami-Dade’s Red Shift, Democrats Regroup for the Road Ahead

It's safe to say Miami-Dade Democrats have had a rough season.

After a difficult presidential race, the longtime blue county swung red for the first time in 36 years, thrusting Miami into the national spotlight as a focal point for immigration raids, shipping tariffs, and trade wars under President Donald Trump's second term.

For Laura Kelley, the chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party since December 2024, it's time to take stock and tighten up. Kelley, a Doral-based immigration attorney and former leader of the South Florida Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, is committed to rebuilding the party by promoting accountability, informing the public, and mobilizing Miami residents to take action.

Despite the Biden administration's progress, Kelley says people were still unsatisfied, particularly in a post-COVID dynamic. "Unfortunately, in Miami-Dade County, we were not able to message that a lot of the affordability issues that we're facing in Florida are directly attributable to our state legislature and our governor."

For Kelley, the party's failure in the last election amounts to an inability to fight misinformation, compounded by an unstable local party that has seen three different chairs in the last year. (Kelley succeeded Miami Gardens Sen. Shevrin Jones, who stepped into the role in April 2024 after Florida Democrats removed Robert Dempster from the position a month earlier).

Though the Republican Party has alleged that all Democrats agree with far-left-wing talking points, Kelley says that's not the case. "That resonated with a lot of conservative Hispanic voters, but that is not the truth about the Democratic Party; we are a big-tent party," Kelley says.

To align the party with voters, Kelley plans to focus on accountability and restructuring to become more effective in the early stages of a new presidency.

"We're in the phase of rebuilding this party to be what it needs to be, to respond to voters' needs, to listen to voters, and to message effectively," Kelley says. "Without the infrastructure in place, there's nothing else in place."

Concerns about immigration reform and the impact of widespread U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are a top priority for Kelley and the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. They have hosted several events addressing the issue, including an online immigration forum, in partnership with the Orange County Democrats, to inform residents of their rights and a press conference supporting City Commissioner Damien Pardo's resolution to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Venezuelans. Kelley also stood with other Democratic leaders to oppose Coral Gables' adoption of the 287(g) agreement, which deputizes police officers to assist ICE in detaining immigrants.

"The rhetoric around immigrants used by the Trump administration is so hateful and derogatory," Kelley says.

She notes that many undocumented immigrants initially entered the U.S. legally, often seeking asylum, but lost their cases after years due to long processing times. "The idea of leaving their home and going back to a country they haven't seen in ten years, if we just have the slightest bit of empathy for them, we can understand why they would not want to go back to their home country."

As an immigration attorney, Kelley has seen a surge in concerned clients, many of them Miami residents facing uncertainty about their own or their loved ones' legal status.

Other concerns for Miami-Dade Democrats include the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) sweeping federal layoffs — impacting Everglades National Park workers — and ongoing threats to Social Security and public assistance programs.

Kelley encourages dissatisfied Miami residents to get involved, hold Republican leaders accountable, and participate in town halls and rallies. She also urges dissatisfied Republicans to switch party affiliations to send a message to elected representatives.

As the Democratic Party undergoes restructuring, Kelley wants to make it more accessible and community-driven. She regularly hosts events to keep residents informed, including assisting with vote-by-mail reapplications and organizing door-to-door campaign efforts.

"We are a party under construction, creating programs, and we want to be there in the community, not in 2026 when we're asking for your vote," Kelley says. "We want to be in the community right now."