Before he was picked as Miami-Dade's GOP chair, Nelson Diaz took fire for working for Becker & Poliakoff, a Democratic-centric firm where he once contributed to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, now the Democratic National Committee chair.
Diaz won't have to worry about contributing to Dems any more and getting grief for it.
Southern Strategies, the heavyweight Republican lobby firm headquartered in Tallahassee, announced his hire along with Miami-Dade lobbyist Edgar Castro.
Southern Strategy Group is pleased to announce Nelson Diaz and Edgar Castro have joined its Miami office as its newest partners. Southern Strategy Group’s first office opened in Tallahassee, Florida in 1999. Since then, the firm has grown to be the largest government relations group in the United States with affiliated offices in 12 states and five offices in Florida. Paul Bradshaw, the firm’s founder said, “Nelson and Edgar have a remarkable record working in and around government and add a new and important dimension to our team in Miami. Their experiences in the complex political environment of South Florida, as well as their relationships that extend to Tallahassee and Washington, make them uniquely suited to help clients prevail when confronted with must-win issues.”
Nelson has successfully represented local governments, businesses, trade associations and other corporate clients before the legislative and executive branches of Florida government. Nelson has been successful in guiding legislation through the committee process, to the floor of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate, and ultimately, for the Governor's signature. Nelson has become one of Tallahassee's young rising stars since serving as Chief Legislative Aide to the Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and now United States Senator Marco Rubio. In addition, Nelson has successfully represented corporate entities before Miami Dade County government and the City of Miami.
Nelson began his political career as a volunteer in the 1996 Presidential race in Florida where he and many other young leaders, including now U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, State Senator Anitere Flores, Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser Carlos Lopez-Cantera and many other now elected officials, worked hard to build a strong Republican party base in South Florida. Since then, Nelson has worked on countless political campaigns in Florida, including Presidential, U.S. Senate, Florida House of Representatives, Florida Senate and local government campaigns. Nelson also assists many candidates with fundraising and campaign strategy. As a result of Nelson’s service with Senator Rubio and his involvement in many campaigns, Nelson has established an extensive network of key contacts in Miami-Dade County, the Florida Legislature and in Washington, DC. Nelson was recently elected as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County.
Edgar has successfully advocated for issues addressing the needs of businesses, associations, municipalities and The Florida Bar before the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, various government agencies and the Florida Legislature. Edgar’s clients rely on him to offer strategic advice and to help them access government and elected officials. Edgar assists in advancing his clients’ political and legislative agenda by monitoring their issues and lobbying in favor of and sometimes against legislation, regulations and ordinances that impact their various industries.
Edgar began his political career in Tallahassee working in the Governor's Office and as a Legislative Assistant for the Florida House of Representatives. Edgar’s experience in this role taught him the intricacies of the legislative process, committee procedures and helped him build strong ties to staff and Members of both chambers and parties. Throughout his career, Edgar has worked on numerous political campaigns in Florida, including for candidates in the U.S. House and Senate, Florida House of Representatives and Senate and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. In addition, to his experiences in Tallahassee, Edgar worked in Washington, DC, both as a White House intern and as a legislative accounts consultant for a government relations and consulting company. Edgar was responsible for researching and analyzing State and Federal legislative actions and making recommendations to help clients effectively respond to governmental opportunities while avoiding potential risks.
Southern Strategy Group is part of an interlocking network of 17 lobbying offices providing access, advocacy and advice to clients throughout the United States. With more than 50 lobbyists serving over 300 clients nationwide, Southern Strategy Group and its affiliated offices make up the largest lobbying network in the country. For more information, click here.
Nelson may be contacted at 305.490.3414 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Edgar may be contacted at 305.333.0649 or via e-mail at [email protected].
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