Kevin Chambliss: South Dade’s Newest Representative

Earlier this year, I was told by a friend, “walk through the doors God opens for you.”

Kevin Chambliss has just done this, twice.

Running in the Democratic primary election to the Florida House of Representatives on August 18, 2020, Chambliss won after receiving the most votes for District 117.

Door number one.

And while the general election occurs on November 3, 2020, since there is no Republican contender in this election, Chambliss also wins the Florida House of Representative seat in November as a result.

Door number two.

But Chambliss is just as prepared for his new position, as he was blessed with it.

“I’ve been playing junior varsity, I’ve been on the practice squad, and now they finally pass me the ball,” Chambliss said, “that’s exactly how it feels.”

Chambliss began his professional political career in 2008, and has been working within politics ever since: whether in his first elected position as a Dekalb County board member in Georgia, or with Congressman Joe Garcia as his campaign field organizer and subsequently his South Dade director in 2010, or even alongside Congressman Carlos Curbelo, Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, and Congresswoman Donna Shalala here in South Dade most recently, as their community liaison.

A Mississippi native, his parents were split however on his desire for political service.

His father, who passed away after his 20-year fight with cancer in June, was adamant that his son continue towards his passion, despite the health concerns or thoughts of stopping to be there for his dad.

“Boy, I ain't no crutch -- don’t use me as a crutch,” said Chambliss, remembering his dad’s words. “God has called you to a destination, you started something, you got to finish it; period.”

His mother though, wanted something quite different for her son. “My Mom did not want me to be in politics, she wanted me to be a preacher; and I said ‘mom you can do both’,” Chambliss said.

And so he did.

Getting into politics as a graduate student while at Northern Illinois University, Chambliss was the vice-president of the NIU College Democrats there, president of the Young Democrats of Dekalb County, and a member of the university’s NAACP Executive Board.

Because of this experience, and his service now also as a youth pastor at Covenant Missionary Baptist Church in Florida City, Chambliss explained the role youth can play in making their communities better through political discussions.

“Their brains are at such a rapid pace that many of the solutions begin with them, they should be involved in these conversations,” said Chambliss. “I don’t just mean conversations that affect them [now], they should be involved in all conversations, because it eventually affects them.”

Additionally, by meeting with current institutional leaders in government, law enforcement, education, agriculture, and others in the community to show thanks for their support, Chambliss is taking the next few months to further get a jump on the work to be done in November.

“While I’m still rep-elect, I have an opportunity to kind of go and circle the wagons again and to touch base with everybody, and make sure that I’m clear with everyone on what’s going on,” Chambliss said.

One of those issues will be continued gun violence, as he pointed out a shooting which took place in Goulds just days before the primary as an example, and how it’s still occurring despite COVID-19.

“Gun violence never slowed down during the pandemic here in South Dade, where it might have slowed down in other areas,” said Chambliss.

He will also be tackling how the Coronavirus has hit homes in other ways.

“Getting out of this pandemic, kids going back to school,” Chambliss said. “Parents may or may not be working, and they don’t know how they’re going to juggle working and monitoring whether kids participate in this online stuff.”

Chambliss further believes that by bridging the racial, economic, religious gaps that exist now, communities will have greater success in overcoming their struggles: pandemic and otherwise.

“It hit us all as a community, so as a community, we’re going to have to fight our way out of it,” said Chambliss.

In spite of all the challenges surrounding South Dade now more than ever -- like healthcare and economic recovery -- Chambliss said he is gearing to get started and get the work done, kicking down doors in the process.

“I’ve been waiting [for] this moment, brainstorming”, Chambliss Chambliss. “I'm ready, ready to go!”