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Cuban-American Jeanette Nuñez: Florida’s 1st Latina Lt. Governor
An in-depth look at what the election of this American-born daughter of Cuban exiles represents for Florida’s future.
On the morning of January 8th, 2019 Jeanette Nuñez was sworn-in as Florida’s 20th Lieutenant Governor, with the class, humility, and dignity that her colleagues say has come to define her tenure in public office— making history as the first Latina to ever occupy the position.
After an arduous campaign and highly-contested election in the Fall, Nuñez had officially become the highest-ranking Latina elected-official in Florida’s history.
Yet, shattering a glass-ceiling was not altogether new for Nuñez as just two years prior she was selected by her colleagues to lead the Florida House of Representatives as Speaker Pro-Tempore, the number two position in the chamber and the first Hispanic woman to serve in that powerful role as well.
While Nuñez’s achievements represent historic strides for Florida’s booming Hispanic community, the Cuban-American wife and mother of three humbly admits how running for public office was not something that she initially had in mind.
In fact, Nuñez began her career in public service in 1995 as a Legislative staffer to then-Senator Alex Diaz de la Portilla, becoming his Chief of Staff way…
