It’s an open seat Elijah Manley is ready to claim. Manley, a 22-year-old activist, is announcing plans to campaign for the Florida House of Representatives.
Manley will seek the Democratic nomination in District 94, whose current Representative, Bobby DuBose, is term-limited.
“I definitely believe this is our time for real,” Manley told SFGN in a telephone call on Monday.
Manley, a Black gay man, plans to release a video on Wednesday announcing the campaign and coinciding with Florida’s first admittance into the United States.
This will be Manley’s second attempt at the District 94 seat. He received nearly 9,000 votes for a 30% showing in the 2020 Democratic primary, going head-to-head against DuBose, the ranking Democrat on the House appropriations committee.
This time around look for a crowded field with as many as six candidates, Manley said.
“A third of the vote might be enough to win,” he said.
District 94 covers the western precincts of Wilton Manors, a majority of Fort Lauderdale, including downtown and precincts in Oakland Park and Plantation.
Manley said his message to voters will focus on improved health care, expanding Medicaid and opening more community clinics.
“I firmly believe healthcare is a human right,” he said.
Other issues Manley is focused on include adding more affordable housing, dealing effectively with climate change, raising workers’ wages and protecting LGBT rights. Manley said he believes in the vision of President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” campaign and seeks to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am encouraging residents to remain socially distant, wear their masks, and get vaccinated when the time is appropriate,” Manley said. “COVID-19 is not over yet.”
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