A Christian organization rescinded its “highly qualified” rating from Palm Beach County court judge candidate Lourdes Casanova after learning she was endorsed by an LGBTQ civil rights group.
Anthony Verdugo, founder of the Christian Family Coalition (CFC), told the Sun Sentinel that Casanova’s decision to accept an endorsement from the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council went against the religious organization’s fundamental beliefs.
“Candidates who seek the endorsement of LGBTQ activist organizations that work to undermine family values, parental rights and children’s safety do not receive CFC Florida’s highly qualified rating,” Verdugo said.
Rand Hoch, founder of the PBCHRC and a former judge, told OutSFL he’s never heard of the CFC despite his 40-plus years as an LGBTQ activist.
“The Miami-based Christian Family Coalition should have done their homework before issuing a scurrilous statement about those of us who have been working in electoral politics in Palm Beach County for decades,” Hoch said.
As of Monday, the CFC website was suspended. Its Facebook page is still active.
The PBCHRC describes itself as non-partisan in its mission statement, and has endorsed both Democrat and Republican candidates since its formation in 1988.
The council is “dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression” and has helped to implement more than 160 laws and policies “providing equal protections, rights, and benefits for the LGBTQ community,” according to its mission statement.
CFC said the HRC is a “homosexual hate group that slanders Christians and anyone who disagrees with them,” but didn’t offer evidence for the allegations.
Hoch told the Sun Sentinel the council has never attacked anyone’s religious beliefs.
“They are just coming out of nowhere and taking it out on a candidate who prior to them learning about our endorsement they thought was the most qualified,” Hoch said. “And it makes no sense. I think it’s un-Christian.”
All voting for county court judge ends on Aug. 20. Casanova, who is running against two other candidates, needs more than 50% of the vote to win. If none of the candidates meet this threshold, then the top two will enter a runoff election in November.
