Florida State Senator Lauren Book (D), a vocal advocate for child protection and legislation benefitting Florida families, has been elected Senate Democratic Leader-Designate. Having been elected to the Florida Senate in 2016, Book is currently serving as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, she is the Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries, and she also serves on six other committees, which includes the Influential Committees on Rules and Appropriations.
This marks the first time that the Chamber will be led by two women.
In a statement, Book said that she is “honored and humbled by the vote of confidence from my colleagues to lead our Caucus,” adding that “for Senate Democrats to effect real and meaningful change without leaving anything on the table, we must fight for our strongly-held Democratic values that benefit everyday people.” In terms of effective lawmaking, Book commented that she believes “that through effective consensus building, Senate Democrats can be powerfully pragmatic without compromising our principles, and there is no doubt the people of Florida deserve that much from their elected leaders.”
Book’s accolades also include her serving “statewide as an appointee to the Florida Council on Human Trafficking-Direct Support Organization Board of Directors and the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet.
A press release announcing the election also reminded that “she has championed women’s rights, access to healthcare, and Florida’s public education system throughout her time in the Senate.”
