Joe Kaufman gets backing from three Hispanic leaders

Republican congressional candidate Joe Kaufman says three prominent Hispanic leaders have endorsed his Florida 25th District campaign, boosting his national security-focused message. The support ties his bid to Venezuelan, Cuban-American and Mexican voices as he seeks to flip a closely watched South Florida seat.

Why it matters: - The endorsements give Joe Kaufman new support from Hispanic leaders with ties to Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico. - The backing reinforces Kaufman’s pitch that national security, counterterrorism and hemispheric stability are central to South Florida voters. - The endorsements also connect Kaufman’s campaign to immigrant and exile communities that have been politically active in Florida.

What happened: - Republican congressional candidate Joe Kaufman received endorsements from Iván Simonovis, Dr. Luis Suárez Hernández and Simón Levy. - Simonovis is a former Venezuelan political prisoner and security expert. - Suárez Hernández is a Cuban-American ambassador and human rights advocate. - Levy is a former Mexican deputy minister of tourism. - Kaufman is running in Florida’s 25th Congressional District. - The announcement was dated July 28, 2026.

The details: - Simonovis said Kaufman would be a valuable ally in identifying threats from criminal organizations across Latin America and in supporting freedom and democracy in Venezuela. - Suárez Hernández said Kaufman is a steadfast defender of freedom and the principles that have made America strong. - Suárez Hernández also said Kaufman understands threats from transnational organized crime and terrorist organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. - Levy said support for Kaufman is a matter of national security and moral clarity. - Levy said South Florida needs Kaufman in Congress. - Kaufman said the endorsements mean a great deal because of his family’s ties to Latin America. - Kaufman is married to Emily, who is from Peru and teaches Hebrew and Spanish in Boca Raton. - Kaufman said the couple has extended family in Cuba and Venezuela. - Kaufman and Emily took part in the 2014 “Trip for Freedom” with more than 1,000 Venezuelan Americans in Washington, D.C. - During that trip, Kaufman addressed a crowd outside the Organization of American States and called for Nicolás Maduro to be imprisoned for human rights abuses. - Kaufman said Venezuelan families affected by a recent earthquake were on his mind. - Kaufman said instability, organized crime and humanitarian crises in Latin America affect the United States. - Kaufman said he would keep working with freedom-loving communities to confront transnational criminal organizations and support democratic allies.

Between the lines: - The endorsements help Kaufman frame his campaign as aligned with anti-authoritarian and anti-crime politics across the hemisphere. - The message is tailored to South Florida, where Venezuelan, Cuban and other Hispanic communities often respond strongly to Venezuela, Cuba and regional security issues. - Levy’s praise of President Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio signals an effort to connect Kaufman to a hard-line national security lane favored by many GOP primary and general election voters.

What’s next: - Kaufman will continue campaigning in the Florida 25th District. - He is seeking to build on the name recognition and momentum from his 2024 race, which he says was the closest congressional election in Florida. - Kaufman said he plans to keep pressing themes of border security, support for Israel, and opposition to communist and socialist dictatorships in the hemisphere.

The bottom line: - Kaufman is using high-profile Hispanic endorsements to sharpen a national security message aimed at South Florida voters and diaspora communities.