Carlos Guillermo Smith
State Senator, State of Florida
State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith made history as Florida’s first openly-LGBTQ Latino lawmaker with his election to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, where he served three consecutive two-year terms before his election to the Florida Senate in 2024. In the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in his community, Carlos championed the needs of survivors and families and became a national leader on gun violence prevention. He led the charge against Florida’s dangerous ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law and has become a key opponent of Governor Ron DeSantis’ extreme agenda. This summer, Senator Smith filed a joint lawsuit alongside four Democratic lawmakers against the State of Florida after being refused entry to the infamous Everglades detention camp known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz’. Carlos serves as Senior Advisor on staff at Equality Florida and he lives in East Orlando with his husband Jerick Mediavilla, an educator from Corozal, Puerto Rico.