Miami-Dade Democrats Endorse Dr. Mara Zapata for Miami-Dade School Board

MIAMI-DADE, FL: The Miami-Dade Democratic Party has endorsed Dr. Mara Zapata for Miami-Dade County School Board in District 5.

Dr. Mara Zapata has dedicated her professional life to education and supporting both teachers and students. She currently serves as Associate Director of the FIUteach program in the STEM Transformation Institute. She has served as an Instructional Supervisor for Miami Dade County Public Schools in the division of Human Capital Management, supported and mentored many pre-service teachers; many of whom are current teachers in the field. Prior to this she served as an administrator in Curriculum & Instruction for Miami Dade County Public Schools, overseeing the implementation of several federally funded district wide programs and initiatives.

Dr. Zapata has a record of community involvement and public service. She is past Chair of the Miami Dade County Commission for Women, has served as a Guardian Ad Litem representing the voice of children She recently resigned from the Springs City Council where she served in elected office on the City Council.

Statement from Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Steve Simeonidis:

“We are thrilled to support Dr. Mara Zapata in her race for Miami-Dade School Board,” said Steve Simeonidis, Chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. “While Dr. Zapata has a strong background in education, what fueled her decision to run her desire to bring equity into the classroom. She knows that public education should serve the needs of all children equally. I look forward to working with Dr. Zapata when she is a member of the Miami-Dade School Board.”

The endorsement process for the Miami-Dade School Board, District 5 seat originated with an invitation to all registered Democrats in the race to send materials for consideration. The materials submitted highlighted the candidates’ personal backgrounds, experience, and their views on key issues of concern to Democratic Party members, including affordable housing, public transit, combating racism, LGBT rights, women’s rights, environmental concerns, and a living wage. A panel of Democratic Party leaders, facilitated by First Vice Chair Maria-Elena Lopez, then interviewed all candidates, and referred their recommendations to the Democratic Party Steering Committee. These recommendations were in turn approved by a supermajority and referred to the larger Democratic Executive Committee, which voted to support Dr. Zapata. This county-wide endorsement is part of an unprecedented year-long effort on the part of Miami-Dade Democrats to engage voters, organize, and ultimately defeat the White House occupant in 2020 and elect Democrats up and down the ticket.

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The Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee is the governing body of the Democratic Party in Miami-Dade County. Its mission is to build and sustain a strong Democratic Party in Miami- Dade County for the purpose of electing Democratic candidates to offices at all levels of government.

For more information, visit us online at: https://www.miamidadedems.org/