Omari Hardy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Omari Hardy
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| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 88th district |
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| In office November 3, 2020 – January 10, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Al Jacquet |
| Succeeded by | Jervonte Edmonds |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 28, 1989 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Miami (BA) |
Omari J. Hardy, born on November 28, 1989, is an American politician. He used to be a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 88th district. He served from November 3, 2020, to January 10, 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Omari Hardy was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He went to the University of Miami and earned a degree in economics.
Political Career
Before becoming a state representative, Omari Hardy worked as a teacher. He also served as a member of the City Commission for Lake Worth Beach, Florida. This means he helped make decisions for the city where he lived.
Standing Up for Residents
In March 2020, a video of a Lake Worth Beach City Commission meeting became very popular online. Omari Hardy had been pushing for important emergency rules at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He wanted to stop utility companies from turning off people's power or water. He also wanted city workers to get paid time off if they were sick. Plus, he wanted the city to help pay for their medical costs if they got the virus.
His ideas faced some challenges. During an emergency meeting, Omari Hardy spoke strongly against the City Manager, Michael Bornstein. He was upset that utilities were still being shut off.
He also said that the Mayor, Triolo, was not doing what was best for the people. Hardy said, "We cut people’s utilities this week... to turn their lights off in a global health pandemic. But you don’t care about that!"
The City Manager later said that about 100 customers did have their utilities shut off. However, he added that these shutoffs were reversed the day before the meeting. The Mayor thought Hardy was just trying to get attention.
A video of this discussion was put on YouTube by the Palm Beach Post. It quickly got millions of views. This helped Omari Hardy gain support from famous people like Shaquille O’Neale and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.
Serving in the Florida House
In October 2019, Omari Hardy announced he wanted to run for the Florida House District 88. This is a part of the state government that makes laws for Florida.
He left his city commission job the next year. This was because of a Florida law that says you must resign from one office to run for another.
While debating in the House, Hardy got attention across the state. He spoke up about a controversial comment made by one Republican representative to another.
Running for Congress
In April 2021, Omari Hardy decided to run for a seat in the U.S. Congress. This was a special election for Florida's 20th congressional district. The seat became open because the previous representative, Alcee Hastings, had passed away.
Hardy ran on ideas that are considered "progressive." This means he supported policies like Medicare for All, which aims to provide healthcare for everyone. He also supported the Green New Deal, a plan to address climate change and create jobs.
He also stated his support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement related to Israel. He said it was important to "speak the truth" and be clear about right and wrong.
Some groups disagreed with his views. They released campaign ads that criticized his stance.
In the end, Omari Hardy was not elected to Congress. He received just under 6% of the votes.
Personal Life
Omari Hardy was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2011. ADHD is a condition that can affect focus and behavior.
