Republican incumbent Demi Bussata Cabrera, a key backer of a controversial new housing law, faces off with Grove resident Matthew Bornstein, a self-described moderate Democrat.
A Republican party insider and a Democratic political newcomer face off for the Florida House District 114 seat. The GOP-leaning district covers Coral Gables, South Miami, Cutler Bay, West Miami and the southern and western portions of Coconut Grove.
Republican incumbent Demi Bussata Cabrera hopes to retain the seat she first won in 2020. Two years ago, she soundly defeated challenger Adam Benna in a once-reliable Democratic district that has shifted rightward in recent elections.
Busatta Cabrera, a one-time campaign manager and legislative aide to former state senator Anitere Flores, works at a nonprofit for adults with developmental disabilities. She is married to Miami-Dade District 6 Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera, who also holds leadership positions within the Miami-Dade Republican Party and the state GOP. They live in Coral Gables.
During her stint in Tallahassee, Bussata Cabrera, 33, has promoted sea-level rise resilience planning, financial literacy for high school students, and has helped secure funding for septic-to-sewer conversion in Coral Gables.
She also co-sponsored the so-called Live Local Act, which provides incentives for affordable housing construction through a provision that allows developers to skirt local zoning restrictions.
Some neighborhood activists and planning experts – who say the new law will allow outsized developments that are incompatible with neighboring properties – were angered with her decision to skip a community meeting in Coconut Grove in late August for residents to voice their concerns.
Bussata Cabrera and a staff aide did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Spotlight.
Coconut Grove resident Matthew Bornstein was a late arrival to the campaign, filing to run on the final day to declare, which allowed the Florida Democratic Party to achieve its goal of entering a candidate in every state house and senate race.
“Nobody else had entered so I said ‘Hey, I might as well throw my hat into the ring’,” says Bornstein, who runs a Miami-based media production company.
Bornstein calls himself a moderate Democrat whose views may not always align with party orthodoxy – a selling point, in his view, within a state government where others within his party have struggled for relevance.
If elected, he tells the Spotlight, he will push a “100-day action plan” to address three key issues: property insurance, housing affordability and LGBTQ+ rights.
Bornstein has yet to file any financial reports, as required under state election law, saying his volunteer staff had “dropped the ball on that.” He declined the Spotlight’s request for a list of donors, describing his campaign as mostly self-funded.
As of late September, Bussata Cabrera had raised about $225,000 directly, while her political action committee, People Above Politics has brought in more than $1.1 million since 2021. Key donors include the Florida Republican Party and affiliate PACs.
Bornstein says the district’s historical support for Democratic candidates buoys his chances. “It’s a very balanced district,” he says. “Very flippable.”
To learn more about Bornstein visit his campaign website here, and for Bussata Cabrera here.
