Running in the Democratic primary to represent Florida's 27th congressional district, Mary Barzee Flores is breaking out of the pack by sharing her own experience with workplace sexual misconduct, and making common cause with women who have suffered the same, in an ad titled, "Power Trip."
She doesn't delve into the details of her experiences, though in an interview with the Miami Herald she shared what happened to her when she was a 17-year old, assuming the post of Pizza Hut night manager from her boss' wife: "The manager followed me in [to the walk-in freezer] and shut the door. He said if I was going to take his wife’s place I would have to do all of her duties, and he made clear what he meant by that," by groping her.
She speaks of her tenure as a Florida judge, with a defiant tone: "I made damn sure that everyone in my courtroom was treated with fairness and respect."
Rubio would not characterize his opposition that way. A Politico report on the dispute characterizes his opposition as based on his claim that "Barzee Flores wasn’t candid about her involvement in a case involving claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and that she wasn’t forthcoming enough about prior support for groups such as EMILY’s List, which supports abortion-rights candidates."
Barzee surely does not intend for Rubio's claims to end the dispute and picking a fight with Rubio probably would not hurt Barzee Flores in the Democratic primary.
She ends her compelling ad with a call for justice: "The bullies have had their say, but if you join me and my campaign, they won't get the last word."
Mary Barzee Flores Shares When She Suffered Sexual Assault
Over scenes of women working as waitresses and hotel maids, Flores recounts her past: "As a woman who's worked since I was 15 years old, I've dealt with handsy customers, with harassment, and even assault from a boss." Then subtly noting that women in higher-paid professions are not immune from misogynistic behavior, she adds, "and as a lawyer, with a judge who made a crack about my looks on my very first day in court."She doesn't delve into the details of her experiences, though in an interview with the Miami Herald she shared what happened to her when she was a 17-year old, assuming the post of Pizza Hut night manager from her boss' wife: "The manager followed me in [to the walk-in freezer] and shut the door. He said if I was going to take his wife’s place I would have to do all of her duties, and he made clear what he meant by that," by groping her.
She speaks of her tenure as a Florida judge, with a defiant tone: "I made damn sure that everyone in my courtroom was treated with fairness and respect."
Fires Back at Marco Rubio
And then she takes a recent controversy in her career, when her nomination to be a U.S. District Judge was blocked by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, and turns into another sexist obstacle to overcome, calling Rubio "a guy on a power trip" who "blocked my nomination because of my support for civil rights and a women's right to choose."Rubio would not characterize his opposition that way. A Politico report on the dispute characterizes his opposition as based on his claim that "Barzee Flores wasn’t candid about her involvement in a case involving claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and that she wasn’t forthcoming enough about prior support for groups such as EMILY’s List, which supports abortion-rights candidates."
Barzee surely does not intend for Rubio's claims to end the dispute and picking a fight with Rubio probably would not hurt Barzee Flores in the Democratic primary.
She ends her compelling ad with a call for justice: "The bullies have had their say, but if you join me and my campaign, they won't get the last word."