Author Archives: Solivita Democrat

FDP Weekly Talking Points

Every week, talking points are provided to party leaders and membership. Messaging should be used for press interviews, conversations with voters, and social media posts. 

Join us each Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET for our weekly messaging call to learn what breaking news the party is discussing and how we’re sharing it. Register here.

To request for someone to be added to the mailing list, direct them to press@floridadems.org.

Cada semana, se proporcionan temas de discusión a los líderes y miembros del partido. Los mensajes deben utilizarse para entrevistas de prensa, conversaciones con votantes y publicaciones en redes sociales.

Únase a nosotros todos los martes a las 11:00 a. m. E.T. para nuestra reunión semanal de comunicación, donde podrá enterarse de las últimas noticias que está debatiendo el partido y cómo las estamos difundiendo. Regístrese aquí.

Para solicitar que alguien se agregue a la lista de correo, dirígete a prensa@floridadems.org.

Congratulations: Leadership Updates!

Announcing our new Officers and Directors for 2026
These folks have been elected to two-year terms:

  • President & Vice President: We’re excited to announce that our current VP, Mary Martine-Scheiner, is now President! Past President, Brian Fillette, will serve as Vice President to help ensure continuity and to keep our Club moving ahead with strength and unity.
  • Mary >   < Brian
  • Directors: We’re also excited to share that our dedicated incumbents, Diane Jorio and Patty Whittle, are continuing in their current roles. Their leadership and commitment bring both stability and enthusiasm to our Club.
  • Rochelle > < Patty

Membership Renewal 

If your last dues payment was before October 1, 2025, it’s time to renew for 2026 ($15):

  1. By Mail: Go to solivitademocrats.org/club-membership, print the form, and mail with your check payable to “Solivita Democratic Club”. (Address to mail to is on the form.)
  2. Online: Submit payment by clicking the Donate button on the membership webpage.
  3. In-Person: Visit us at the Solivita Market (Mondays, 9:30 AM – Noon) or at the Monthly Meeting

GREAT NEWS! Enough money has been raised to move the LIMA CENTER forward!

St. Rose of Lima has announced they will break ground later in August!
THIS PROJECT IS STILL ACCEPTING DONATIONS TO HELP PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE MUCH NEEDD BUILDING.
The Lima Center will provide Poinciana a new meeting place as well as an improved and expanded facility to house the much needed FOOD PANTRY.

Or, contribute to the Lima Center at Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/551cab5f3

SDC Member Martha Cusimano died November 30th

Celebrating the life of Martha Hart Cusimano

B. January 27, 1943 – D. November 30, 2025
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS
Please make a donation to ST. ROSE OF LIMA
(Write on check: FOR LIMA CENTER BUILDING)
Mail to: St. Rose of Lima
Attn: Jack Weisheyer
3860 Pleasant Hill Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746

SOLIVITA DEMOCRATIC CLUB NOTE

We are saddened to learn of Martha’s passing. She exemplified the values of our club and the Democratic Party. Over the years she led voter registration training and door-to-door efforts for many local, state and national candidates. She orchestrated fundraisers for the St. Rose of Lima Food Pantry and Habitat for Humanity through a series of Big Band Concerts that raised more than $100,000 towards these worthy causes. For the past five years Martha devoted her efforts to improving the lives of the needy in and around Poinciana by working towards the Lima Center, which will greatly expand the capacity of the Food Pantry and provide much needed community meeting space. Her relentless work helped raise more than $4.1 million — within sight if the $4.4 million required to begin construction. All while bravely fighting her battle with terminal cancer. Martha was our SDC Member of the Year in 2020. Our club, our community and her family will miss her dearly. 

Contribute to the Lima Center at Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/551cab5f3

FAMILY NOTE

The family wishes to thank everyone for their extraordinary impact on Martha’s life. In lieu of flowers, she expressly asked for donations to complete her final act for her community, the Lima Center Building Project. See instructions above on how to make donations. There will also be donation boxes at the funeral home during the viewing.

BURIAL
SATURDAY, 3 JAN 2026
Oakland Cemetery North, 1250 Oakland Cemetery Road, Haines City, FL 33844

From the FDP Chair

We’re excited to continue building off of the momentum of our November Municipal Elections throughout the state. This week, we have two key Nights of Action where Florida Democrats will come together to drive turnout in critical special and runoff elections.

We have launched a new slate of Take Back Local candidates for the December 2025 runoff elections. Floridians are tired of the chaos and ready for leaders who show up, listen, and deliver. That’s exactly what our Take Back Local candidates will do. 

The Take Back Local slate for the December 2025 runoff elections includes:

  • Matthew Crowley, Winter Haven, District 4 – Runoff 12/2
  • Monica Matteo-Salinas, Miami Beach, Group I – Runoff 12/9
  • Eileen Higgins, City of Miami Mayor – Runoff 12/9
  • Chris Dzadovsky, Fort Pierce City Commission, District 2 – Runoff 1/13

On Wednesday, November 19, we’re kicking off with a Special Election Night of Action Phonebank focused on SD-11 in Central Florida and HD-90 in Palm Beach County:

  • HD-90 is a must-protect after the recent passing of our longtime Democratic representative
  • SD-11 gives us a rare chance to flip a Republican-held Senate seat after the incumbent was pulled into the DeSantis administration

Strong performance in these races will send a clear signal: Florida Democrats are ready to compete everywhere.

Nikki Fried
FDP Chair

DEMS WIN OFTEN IN FLORIDA!

Red to Blue WINS:

  • Eileen Higgins leads the Miami Mayor race headed to runoff in December. 
    She would be the first Democrat to take the office in 28 years!
  • Bryan Bain flips Clermont City Council Seat 2, securing Democratic majority.
  • Tom Keen flips Orlando Commission 1 with a majority of votes in a 4-way race,
    defeating a 12 year incumbent for complete control of city commission.
  • Chris Dzadovsky leads Fort Pierce City Commission race going to runoff to replace a Republican incumbent.

Re-elected:

  • Steve Oelfke, Holmes Beach
  • Vernon Burton, Lake Helen
  • Laura Dominguez, Miami Beach Seat 2
  • Alex Fernandez, Miami Beach Seat 3
  • Christine King, City of Miami Commission District 5
  • James Watts, Fort Meade Seat 3 
  • Clifton Dollison, Winter Haven Seat 5

🎉 We’re excited to share that four candidates from our Take Back Local program were elected in local races across the state.

Our work is not done—Eileen Higgins is advancing to a December 9th run-off for Miami Mayor, and based on last night’s results, another Democratic victory is within reach. All eyes are on the city of Miami as Dems battle to take back the mayor seat for the first time in 28 years. 

Florida Democrats Celebrate the Election Victories

LaVon Bracy Davis to the Florida Senate and
RaShon Young to the Florida House of Representatives!

Together, Florida Democrats made over 37,000 direct voter contact attempts and re-enrolled nearly 10,000 Democratic voters in vote by mail. This is a direct result of investing in year-round organizing, coalition building, and on-the-ground momentum that is driven by volunteers.

 These were not close races—they were landslides with both seats shifting 15 points and 22 points  to the left since last year’s Presidential election.

Got something you want to say? Tell us!

Send your submission or questions to: BeaconSolivita@gmail.com

Join the FDP for a new monthly call to action!

Join the FDP for a new monthly call focused on uplifting our efforts on the ground! Hear updates on programming and how YOU can get involved in our Statewide Field, Voter Registration, and Candidates & Campaigns Programs.

We’ll go over:

✔ Data toplines & trends on voter registration and vote-by-mail 

✔ DEC shoutouts & topline direct voter contact stats

✔ Statewide field programming and how to plug in

✔ Statewide voter registration programming and how to plug in

✔ Updates from Candidates & Campaigns on candidate training, recruitment, and programming

May 20th, 2025 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM EST

Sign Up Here

Robert Edward Doktor — Obituary

SDC Member and past Director of the St. Rose of Lima Food Pantry

April 1, 1949 – February 13, 2025

Bob Doktor was a gifted carpenter.  A friend asked him to help renovate the St. Rose of Lima Food Pantry, and he said yes.  Asked to collect food from community drives in his big GM truck, Bob said yes.  He became a pantry volunteer because he saw the need and said yes, eventually becoming the second director of the St. Rose Pantry, leading an amazing team of highly organized volunteers.  During that time, he served on the Second Harvest of Central Florida agency advisory board and received their Hunger Hero Award for Osceola County, which recognized  the work of St. Rose of Lima pantry in Poinciana and Kissimmee.   He made room for many during his life, serving those in need whom he met along the way. 

He loved the ethnic diversity of Buffalo, NY, his home town, where his family spoke Polish at home and he inherited their deep faith and work ethic.   The Doktor and Duchnik families emigrated from Poland after his grandfather’s town was wiped out during World War II, but kept their culture and traditions alive and well.  Bob loved food: shopping for it at the Buffalo Polish Market, cooking it, and enjoying it.  His mother and Aunt Molly made pierogis, golabki, kielbasa, sweet and sour cabbage, and all sorts of amazing baked goods.  He and Barb became excellent cooks for their family and friends.

He fell in love with Barbara Petruolo, of Yonkers, New York, the child of Italian immigrants and grandchild of Irish immigrants, and they married 55 years ago at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Tonawanda, New York.   Almost immediately, the newlyweds moved to Frankfort, Germany, where Bob served as a communication specialist with the 5th US Army Corp, as part of the American NATO presence.  After returning to the Buffalo area, he earned a BS in Accounting from Canisius College, made General Motors products for 33 years, enjoyed Buffalo wings, Beef-on-Weck, Sahlens hot dogs, and shoveled a lot of snow.  An avid Buffalo Bills fan, he and Barbara enjoyed, dancing, camping, playing cards, travel and their family.  They retired to Solivita 20 years ago, became members of St. Rose of Lima parish, the Western & Upstate New York Club, the Social Dance Club, Do Unto Others Club, Veterans Club of Solivita,  Solivita Democrats, and Oldies But Goodies,  among others.

Bob died of a heart attack while enjoying a cruise with Barb.  He is survived by his beloved wife Barbara Petruolo Doktor, Poinciana, FL; son Shawn Edward Doktor, Poinciana, FL; grandson Brendan Doktor, Buffalo, NYl; daughter Bridget Marie Doktor Lukomski, son-in-law Daniel Lukomski and grandson Noah Lukomski, Williamsville, NY; sister Deborah Bowen, Buffalo, NY; brothers Kenneth Doktor, Jamestown, NY and Donald Doktor, Rochester, NY.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Thursday, March 20, 11 am.  A mass of Christian burial and interment will be at St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery Buffalo, NY. 

Donations: Lima Center: www.saintroseoflimacc.org      
Choose online donations and then “building fund.”