Emily Slosberg faces young newcomer in re-election bid

Emily Slosberg faces young newcomer in re-election bid

22-year-old Sayd Hussain, an FAU student and former White House intern, challenges Slosberg.

Article Courtesy of The Palm Beach Post

By Wayne Washington

Published October 27, 2020

Candidates challenging political incumbents usually face a huge fundraising disadvantage. That’s almost always the case when the challenger is a political newcomer. Add in the fact that the newcomer is a 22-year-old Florida Atlantic University student running as a Republican in a heavily Democratic district, and Sayd Hussain’s step-for-step fundraising against his opponent, state Rep. Emily Slosberg , is, at a minimum, eyebrow-raising.

Hussain, a 2018 White House intern who serves on the Boca Raton Sustainability Board, said he’s going door to door to prove to voters that he’ll work hard for them if he’s elected to represent District 91, which stretches from Boynton Beach south to Boca Del Mar. “Voters can entrust their priorities with me because I will listen to them,” he wrote in an email to The Palm Beach Post. “I am actively engaged with voters from speaking with them at the door or responding to their emails and texts. Voters can be assured that I will be a (legislator) for the people, and I’m proving it every day on the campaign trail.” Seniors and retirees make up a large chunk of the residents of District 91, and Hussain said their issues would be his issues. If elected, he said he would focus on homeowner association reforms, elder abuse and efforts to improve conditions in nursing homes.

As of Thursday, state campaign finance reports show he had raised $31,720, an amount on par with the $31,765 Slosberg had raised. “I’m funded by the people, not (corporations),” he wrote. Those people include his family members as well as the state and county Republican Party, which accounts for about half of the money Hussain has raised. Slosberg, seeking her third two-year term, has gotten much of her money from police, firefighter and other government union contributions. Food and beverage groups have also been significant donors. The Slosbergs are a known political entity in southern Palm Beach County.

Emily Slosberg’s father, Irv Slosberg, is a wealthy businessman who lost a bid this year to go back to Tallahassee after holding the seat his daughter now holds. The family suffered a tragedy in 1996 when Emily Slosberg’s twin sister, Dori Slosberg, was among five teens killed in a car crash west of Boca Raton. Dori’s death has been a political driver for Emily and her father. Both wrote road safety legislation that has been passed into law, and they continue to press for driving rule changes through a foundation named in Dori’s honor.

State Rep. Emily Slosberg hospitalized for mental evaluation

Sayd Hussain, Republican candidate for the Florida House District 91 seat in the November 2020 election.

Emily Slosberg has publicly acknowledged struggling with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in the years since Dori’s death. She was involuntarily committed for mental health assistance last year but says she’s getting the help she needs and that voters need not worry that she’s not up to the job of serving as their representative. “Having mental health issues doesn’t define who I am or what I want to accomplish,” she wrote to The Post. “Depression and PTSD do not take away my ability to work and serve. I want to eliminate the stigma that people with mental health issues are any less capable of standing up for what they believe in and reaching their goals. I am not ashamed to say that I have gotten treatment, and I will continue to do whatever it takes to take care of my mental health.” Slosberg, 39, led a successful push earlier this year to bring coronavirus testing to the district, whose older residents face increased risks from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. If re-elected, Slosberg said she’d press the state to do more to combat the virus. “We need more funding, testing and contact tracing,” she wrote. “We also need to help figure out the best ways to mitigate the virus’ spread through our aging population and schools.” The virus, Slosberg said, has exposed problems in the state’s economy, which she argued is too reliant upon tourism and hospitality.

“Prior to the outbreak of the virus, one of my priorities was to promote green energy and create green jobs,” she wrote. “It’s time we take a deeper look into diversifying the economy while creating sustainability and building resilience.” And then there’s the state’s unemployment system, broadly viewed as a disaster after the virus shut down the state’s economy and forced many to turn to state for help. The website for the state’s unemployment system could not handle the crush of residents seeking help. Many who qualified for assistance could not get it. “There needs to be a complete and comprehensive overhaul of the broken unemployment system, which is currently designed to kick people while they are down,” Slosberg wrote. “The state needs to at least double the amount of unemployment benefits to a living wage, extend the length of time and remove the excessive work search requirements.”