Less than two hours after flagging a homophobic text targeting Sen. Shevrin Jones in Florida’s 24th Congressional District, Florida Politics received a screengrab of a related message with a likely identical, but currently unknown, source.
The first text falsely claimed Jones has HIV and was turned away from a blood donation drive in 2020 because of it. It carried the disclaimer, “Paid for By Equality Florida,” falsely identifying the LGBTQ advocacy group — which last week endorsed Jones, Florida’s first openly gay Black lawmaker — as its funder.
But there’s at least one more text being sent to CD 24 voters that references Jones’ sexuality and that of his Primary opponent, Kendrick Meek Jr., and it carries an eerily similar disclaimer.
“Two openly gay men are the frontrunners to replace Frederica Wilson in Congress. Shevrin Jones and Kendrick Meek, both openly gay, are battling to replace Wilson in Congress,” the text says. “We have come such a long way. Get out and support one of our openly gay Candidates.”
The disclaimer reads, “Paid for by Equity Florida.”
There hasn’t been an active entity called “Equity Florida” in the state since 1965, according to the Florida Division of Corporations. The text’s true funders likely meant to write Equality Florida, but bungled it.
Equality Florida, noting that misrepresenting who paid for a political ad violates federal law, said it was looking into the first text, which Jones called “unfortunate” and virtually identical to tactics used against him during his 2020 Senate Primary.
Meek, responding to the text about Jones on Instagram, called it a “homophobic smear” and called for people to “stand united against bigotry and hatred in all its forms.”
“As a fellow member of the LGBTQ community, I have reached out to Shev to express my shared disgust and commitment to a clean race,” he said. “South Florida deserves better.”
Other South Florida politicians reacted similarly.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, whom polling shows is most competitive with Jones in the CD 24 race, said in a statement that he, too, had seen “the attack made against Shevrin Jones” Tuesday.
“I will not repeat it. It’s a lie. It’s evil, hurtful and it needs to stop,” he said. “Shev is my friend. He was my friend before this election and he’ll be my friend after the election. Stop this hateful, homophobic, and vile rhetoric.”
Fellow Democrat Richard Lamondin, who is running for Senate District 36, said on X of the text that “disgusting … falls short of what it really is.”
“Whoever did this couldn’t beat @ShevrinJones on the merits,” he said. “So they did this instead. Cowards.”
This week, The Advocate reported about Republican Keith Gross in CD 2 and three Democrats — Elijah Manley in CD 20 and Jones and Meek in CD 24 — all running for Congress this year. If any or some of them win, they’d be Florida’s first openly gay members of the U.S. House.
Others in the CD 24 race include cultural leader Marshall Davis, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime, civil rights leader Roderick Vereen and physician-veteran Rudy Moise, whose campaign consultant was called out by the Miami-Dade Democratic Party and multiple candidates last week for distributing a “misleading” voter guide.
CD 24, as redrawn by the GOP-dominated Legislature this year at President Donald Trump’s behest, covers Miami Gardens in Miami-Dade and Hollywood, Miramar and Pembroke Park in Broward County.
Republican Te Mayonna Brown, no-party candidate Andy Daro and write-in candidate Patricia Gonzalez are also running.
More than 68.7% of its voters backed Kamala Harris in 2024, making the Democratic Primary decisive in the contest to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson.
The Primary is Aug. 18, followed by the General Election on Nov. 3.
Jesse Scheckner has covered South Florida with a focus on Miami-Dade County since 2012. His work has been recognized by the Hearst Foundation, Society of Professional Journalists, Florida Society of News Editors, Florida MMA Awards and Miami New Times. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JesseScheckner.
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