Sen. Gwen Margolis, a South Florida political icon who once served as the first female president of the state Senate, ended her bid for re-election Thursday in the wake of reports she disparaged the heritage of several of her primary opponents.
Margolis’ retirement announcement, released by her campaign, marks the end of a career that spanned more than four decades and will further open an already competitive Democratic primary contest in District 38, a seat reshaped in the recent court fight over redistricting.
Margolis, 81, reflected on her political career as a “remarkable journey” in the announcement.
“I am guided by the belief that one must leave your community a better place from where you started,” Margolis said. “Today, I am proud to say that we have done that.
The last 40 years have been a blessing because so many milestones and history-making moments were reached on behalf of Miami-Dade and Florida. I look forward to the journey ahead as I continue to lend my voice and leadership on issues that will take our community to new heights,” she said.
Incoming Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, praised Margolis as a “fierce advocate for our community.”
“There are few leaders in our state with the leadership and presence like Gwen Margolis and the Florida Senate and Democratic Caucus will always be grateful for her service,” Braynon said in a release. “I know I will continue to see Gwen lend her passion to important causes in our community of Miami-Dade County.”
Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida, said it’s unfortunate how Margolis, who has broken a number of barriers regarding women in politics, is exiting the political field.
“I do admire — and I think others will feel badly about how her career is ending — but I admire the fact that she recognized a mistake and stepped aside with dignity,” MacManus said.
But MacManus added she wasn’t surprised by Margolis’ decision, noting the current political environment, the growing diversity among voters in her South Florida district and a field that includes experienced and ambitious Haitian-America politicians.
No mention was made in Margolis’ announcement of her reported remarks Monday at a Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard Democratic Club meeting in which she reportedly gave a blanket description of her primary challengers as “three Haitians, some teacher and some lawyer.”
Margolis, whose comments were first reported by The Miami Herald, is alleged to have said during the event it was “reprehensible that three Haitians, some teacher and some lawyer think that they have the right to run against me.”
The Herald reported the quotes came from Don Festge, the teacher running against Margolis.
Three of the remaining five District 38 Democratic primary candidates — accountant Anis Blémur, former state Rep. Phillip Brutus and state Rep. Daphne Campbell — are Haitian-Americans.
No Republican has announced for the seat.
Brutus on Wednesday called on Florida Democratic Party leaders to denounce Margolis’ comments as “anti-Haitian” and for the incumbent senator to leave the race.
“It is truly sad that Sen. Margolis would stoop that low just because she has competition,” Brutus said. “What is reprehensible is the fact that Gwen Margolis, a public figure, thought it acceptable to attack the Haitian community the way she did.”