Melinda Almonte for Congress
Florida’s Congressional District 24
My name is Melinda Almonte and I intend to run for the U.S. Congress, Florida District 24 to represent the people of South Florida. I grew up in Florida and attended the University of Florida and received my BA from University of South Florida, majoring in Political Science. I then graduated from Emory Law School in Atlanta and went on to earn a Masters of Law in Taxation from New York University. I practiced law in New York City in the areas of corporate securities and investments for many years and then worked as a financial consultant at Merrill Lynch. I moved to San Juan, Puerto in the late 90s to marry my husband and in 2000, I had twin boys. Unfortunately, my sons were victims of severe medical malpractice. As a result, Ramon is blind and Esteban suffered brain damage, which manifests itself as speech difficulties and learning disabilities. After these unfortunate events, I moved with my children to Miami. Since then, my primary focus has been on the betterment of their lives and allowing them to achieve their maximum potential educationally, socially and in all other areas. I wanted to make sure they were mainstreamed into the public school system for socialization and to earn a regular/standard high school diploma. I was their after-school tutor for 16 years. They graduated from high school in 2020, an accomplishment of which we are jointly very proud. These experiences with my sons gave me a different perspective on life. They taught me patience, humility and determination to accomplish things for others without regard for myself. I want to put my strong work ethic and advocacy skills to work for my much loved community of South Florida.
Why I am running
I believe that my education, life and work experience will be very valuable in government service. When I made the decision to run for office in 2021, I took the Florida Bar Exam and am now admitted to the Florida Bar as well as the New York Bar. I also speak fluent Spanish.
Congress has got to get back to the basics of governing and legislating. This requires common sense. We are at a precipice in America that could destroy our country. Americans are waking up and taking notice. Regular people like me, who never thought of running for office, are running now to save the American dream.