PRESS RELEASE: Equality Florida Action PAC Names Joe Saunders First Executive Director
Equality Florida Action PAC Names Joe Saunders First Executive Director
Announces top priorities for Equality Florida Action PAC heading into the 2026 elections
Miami Beach, Fla. — Equality Florida Action PAC, Florida’s largest LGBTQ political committee, announced today that Joe Saunders will serve as its first executive director, marking its 20th anniversary in Florida politics and a significant expansion of the organization’s political and electoral work ahead of the 2026 cycle.
From making history as one of Florida’s first openly LGBTQ state legislators to a 20-year tenure leading record-breaking voter engagement programs across the state and country, Saunders has become one of the LGBTQ community’s most visible experts on elections. Saunders steps into this leadership role to guide Equality Florida Action PAC’s political and electoral work in a critical moment for Florida.
“Florida is home to one of the country’s largest LGBTQ communities, but too often, politicians are building their brand on our backs. In 2026, we need to swing the pendulum, and we have a plan to do exactly that,” said Joe Saunders, Executive Director of Equality Florida Action PAC. “Pro-equality voters are poised to make the difference in critical elections up and down the ballot. We’re going to build the bench of LGBTQ electeds, break the anti-LGBTQ supermajorities in Tallahassee, and deliver pro-equality majorities in our local and school board races. Champions who fight for us are going to get the support they need to win, and those who attack us get to look for new jobs.”
As Florida enters another consequential election cycle, Equality Florida Action PAC is launching an aggressive strategy to shift the balance of power in state and local elections. The organization’s top priorities for 2026 include:
- Breaking the Anti-LGBTQ Florida House and Senate supermajorities — bringing balance to the Florida Capitol, including flipping 6 seats in the Florida House and 2 seats in the Florida Senate, is a top priority
- Growing the LGBTQ legislative caucus from 4 to 6 lawmakers — expanding LGBTQ representation in both chambers of the Legislature.
- Winning key school board races — taking on Moms For Liberty at the ballot, electing pro-equality majority boards, and defending school board champions who prioritize protecting all students.
- Securing critical municipal victories that directly impact LGBTQ communities across Florida.
“Equality Florida Action PAC has been instrumental in building the pipeline of LGBTQ leaders across our state,” said Senator Shevrin Jones, Florida’s first LGBTQ State Senator and Democratic Leader Designate. “I’ve seen firsthand the impact Joe and this organization have had. Equality Florida Action PAC doesn’t just support candidates, it builds the power necessary to win and govern. Our communities are under attack, and we need smart and strategic leadership ready to fight back. Joe Saunders is exactly who this moment requires, and I can’t wait to see what he’s able to do.”
Joe Saunders brings more than two decades of experience running coordinated and independent programs in Florida. Under his management, Equality Florida Action PAC’s programs have helped to secure historic turnout in progressive ballot measures up and down the state and victories for candidates including Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, State Senator Shevrin Jones, State Senator Carlos G. Smith, State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins.
Each cycle, Equality Florida Action PAC screens more than 1,000 candidates, makes hundreds of endorsements, raises hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct candidate support, and launches get-out-the-vote programs that reach more than 1 million voters. Recent victories include Equality Florida Action PAC’s School Board Protection Project, which defeated 76% of Moms For Liberty’s endorsed candidates in the 2024 election, and the Turn Out Miami project, which helped elect Eileen Higgins as the city of Miami’s first woman mayor in 2025.
About Equality Florida Action PAC
Equality Florida Action PAC is the largest political committee dedicated to electing pro-equality candidates in Florida. The PAC supports LGBTQ candidates and allies who are committed to protecting equality, fair representation, and the rights of Florida communities. It has built a voter file of more than 1.4 million pro-equality voters and uses candidate screening, voter guides, and targeted turnout efforts to help elect champions who can make a difference at the ballot box and beyond.