Candidate Endorsement Form

County / Municipal

Welcome to SAVE's Candidate Endorsement Process. The following form is being distributed to candidates that have qualified to run for office in a race for which SAVE has decided to consider making an endorsement.

Founded in 1993, SAVE is known for its thorough endorsement process, which begins with a Panel of community members interviewing candidates for office. The Panel's recommendations are further vetted by our Endorsement Committee, and finally reach our Board of Directors for final decisions.

Only candidates whose demonstrated support of the issues important to the LGBTQ+ community will earn our endorsement. SAVE may also choose to support endorsed candidates on our voter guides and in some cases our field resources will be used to help turn out pro-equality voters to the polls in support of our endorsed candidates.

The Florida Commission on Human Rights currently has a non-permanent pathway for LGBTQ Floridians to file claims of discrimination. However, there is still a need to codify sexual orientation and gender identity into non-discrimination laws at the state and federal level. Would you support or oppose a resolution by your municipality to include supporting statewide non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people (such as the Competitive Workforce Act) as part of the lobbying agenda in Tallahassee?

Religious Refusal laws allow certain individuals and entities to by-pass non-discrimination laws and/or refuse to recognize same-sex marriages. Do you support or oppose Religious Refusal laws?

Government reports have indicated that LGBTQ youth often have difficulties succeeding in educational setting and other aspects of life due to unique circumstances surrounding their sexual orientation and gender identity; such as: social isolation, harassment and violence, rejection by family, homelessness, high rates of drug and alcohol abuse and suicide, a lack of role models, and an absence of adequate information about sexual orientation and gender identity. Social service organizations exist to address the needs of LGBTQ youth; however, funding is a serious issue.a) Would you support and advocate for local and state funding of 501c(3) social serviceorganizations working to assist disadvantaged LGBTQ youth in your district?

South Florida currently has no dedicated safe shelters for LGBTQ youth experiencinghomelessness. Almost all of the shelters are funded by the county food and beverage tax, butfew shelters accept youth, and even fewer are willing to undergo the training necessary toensure that their staff is informed, respectful, and affirming. What would you do, as anelected official, to address or eliminate this problem?

Florida continues to face a housing crisis especially for extremely low-income households (household income of less than $25,750). According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition there are only 28 affordable homes per 100 extreme low-income renter households. Furthermore, LGBTQ adult individuals are more than twice as likely to experience adult homelessness than there cis-gender, straight counterparts. As an elected official, what will you do to address the lack of low-income housing in your municipality?

What actions would you take to ensure that your city or municipality is a safe, welcoming environment for the LGBT community, specifically as it involves community policing?

New legislation passed in 2026, SB 1134: Official Actions of Local Government , threatens local officials who fund, implement or promote DEI initiatives or programs. What do you think of this bill, and what should a municipality do, if anything, to best respond to this legislation?

Every year the Human Rights Campaign issues the Municipal Equality Index (MEI) report that scores cities across the country on how inclusive they are in five areas: 1.) non-discrimination laws, 2.) municipality as an employer, 3.) municipal services, 4.) law enforcement, and 5.) leadership on LGBTQ equality. SAVE has begun working with cities that are not automatically rated to update their policies and self-submit for a MEI score. If elected, would you lead this effort with SAVE for your municipality?

LGBTQ people come from all walks of life and thus are not single-issue people or voters. Many issues, such as equal pay for women, immigration policy, health and mental health care, etc., have a disproportionate impact on the LGBTQ community. What is an issue that you have championed in the past that intersects with the LGBTQ community? What have you done to champion that issue?

In the past, what actions or public positions have you taken in your community in support of the LGBTQ community?

What do you think are the two biggest problems/issues facing your city or municipality today? What would you do to address each of those problems?

Several anti-LGBTQ hate groups, such as the Christian Family Coalition, also engage in an endorsement process. It is the policy of SAVE Action PAC not to endorse anycandidate receiving the endorsement or recommendation of an anti-LGBTQ group.

While we understand that not all campaign materials are appropriate places to list an endorsement, a requirement of SAVE Action PAC’s endorsement is to publicly acknowledge it. Where will you acknowledge this endorsement?

We thank you for responding to this questionnaire. We appreciate your time and attention. Please read and sign the certification statement below before returning the completed questionnaire to SAVE Action PAC.

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I certify that the answers to the above questions accurately reflect my personal positions on the issues addressed.

I further certify that I have not, or will not, respond to the same questions contained in this questionnaire in a different fashion, if the same questions are presented by another group from which I am seeking an endorsement.

In pledging not to use SAVE Action PAC’s endorsement in a negative fashion, I recognize that SAVE Action PAC reserves the right to use this signed statement in any fashion deemed appropriate by SAVE Action PAC, specifically including, but not limited to, submission of a grievance with the Department of Elections, should I or my campaign engage in any negative use of the questionnaire submitted by an opponent and/or the endorsement made by SAVE Action PAC.

Reminders: By submitting this form, you agree that the information provided is accurate and truthful to the best of your knowledge. Please provide relevant and accurate information to support the cause.