About Us
What We Do
- In January, we will target races and candidates and join or create canvasses to support them.
- We will focus on voter turnout for the presidential primary, including assisting with polling locations issues on Primaries and the General Election (VBM, early voting and Election Day)
Our two biggest projects happen closer to Election Day
Mailing recommended candidate slates to our voters so they can be informed regarding all races, including down ballot races and judges.
Getting out the vote as soon as early voting starts, by connecting with voters who have not yet voted up until Election Day itself to motivate them to vote and to help in any way we can.
After the Election
We have an ardent team of ballot curers who follow up on any invalid ballots and do what it takes to get these ballots counted before the deadline, usually several days after the election. This involves getting the proper affidavits signed and delivered to the Elections Department. Sometimes this is accomplished electronically, but sometimes it requires driving to the voter’s home to get the form signed and then delivering to the Elections Department. If you would like to join in this vital effort, please email us at BWCMiamiDade@gmail.com
Mission Statement
Mission
The Blue Wave Coalition of Miami-Dade is dedicated to increasing Democratic voter engagement and turnout by partnering with local groups who adopt one or more precincts and execute our BWCMD Strategic plan and providing our partners with materials and resources to ensure the election of Democrats at every level to create a better future for all Americans.
Performance Measurement
To assess our performance, we will compare the 2024 total turnout for the set of precincts we are working in against the 2020 total voter turnout for the same precincts.
Our Partners
We have partners who are official Democratic Clubs, informal neighborhood groups, and/or friends who have banded together to make a difference.
Our partners adopt one or more precincts and execute our BWCMD Strategic plan.
Here are our current list of partners:
If you would like more information on becoming a Partner, please email Julie Becker at bwcmiamidade@gmail.com
Our Affiliates
Our affiliates are groups who are not yet prepared to adopt a precinct, but who like what we’re doing and want to be involved by helping recruit like-minded individuals for our canvasses and literature drops, as well as using our information for their own group’s use. would like more information on becoming a Partner, please email Julie Becker at bwcmiamidade@gmail.com.
Our Story
Some Call it the Blue Wave; We Call it the Future!
Blue Wave Coalition brings together grassroots organizations in Florida to elect leaders who share progressive and democratic values. Originating in St. Johns County, independent coalitions now operate in multiple Florida regions, following the same successful strategies used in the 2018 mid-term election. Each coalition includes multiple organizations that deploy a data-driven regional campaign to ensure that principled leadership becomes and remains a reality at all levels—locally, statewide, and nationally. Blue Wave Coalition of Florida is not affiliated with any political party, but functions as a broad umbrella that welcomes and engages organizations of all kinds in creating change through the electoral process.
Kate Friedman and Julie Becker founded Blue Wave Coalition Miami-Dade in the fall of 2019. Since then, it has grown to a coalition of 12 partners throughout the County. Our goal is to increase Democratic voter turnout.
The Team
Julie Becker “retired” to Miami in 2015 where she runs 16+Vote (a voter registration organization), co-leads the WAGs (Women’s Action Group, formerly Women for Andrew Gillum) and chairs the Blue Wave Coalition Miami-Dade which brings together progressive groups to adopt one or more precincts and execute an aggressive GOTV plan from now until the election centered around door to door VBM.
She started her career at McDonald’s in 1974 as a night manager in a McDonald’s store, and quickly rose to multi-unit operations positions in Boston and Baltimore. As Corporate Ombudsman from 1989 to 1997, she resolved a myriad of franchisee disputes of which less than 4% went to mediation, arbitration, or litigation. As an Officer of the Company, she managed the New Jersey Region for McDonald’s, responsible for the income from 300+ restaurants in New Jersey, Northeast Pennsylvania, and Upstate New York run by over 90 separate franchisees. She oversaw operations, training, human resources, marketing, real estate, and construction.
Julie followed a 26-year career at McDonald’s Corporation with a 14-year stint at the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation. She started as an on-site volunteer representing the Foundation during the last two weeks of construction and quickly became an integral part of the staff. She held a variety of positions including New York Director of the Presidential Library Team, leading a delegation to Capetown and Johannesburg, Interim Director of Scheduling, Human Resource Manager for NY, Volunteer Director at the Clinton Global Initiative. But most significantly, she created and ran the Intern Program that over 90% of the 2200 interns say is the best they have been involved in. It included work plans, targeted training in technology and writing, a speaker program, educational and social activities, networking, targeted career planning opportunities, and active participation in Foundation events.
Julie received her bachelor’s degree in History from Harvard University and has two MAs: in Burgernomics and Hamburgerology. She enjoys tennis, gardening, cats, traveling and mentoring young adults.
Kate Friedman moved to Miami 4 years ago after being a lifelong New Yorker. While all 3 of her kids were attending U of Miami, Kate and her husband fell in love with the city. They decided to make it their home after they became “empty nesters”.
Within days of moving to Miami, Kate volunteered with her local Planned Parenthood and started canvassing for Andrew Gillum’s campaign, where she met Julie Becker. After Andrew Gillum’s defeat, both Kate and Julie knew there was still so much work to be done. They learned about the work of Blue Wave Coalition and decided to bring the strategy to Miami Dade County.
Kate has been involved with political activism for almost 30 years. She started her career in the art world selling contemporary art, but after her brother died of cancer, she committed herself to help raise awareness and funding for cancer research. She also joined the Board of Planned Parenthood and became a fierce advocate for women’s reproductive health and rights. Lobbying and fundraising became her passion, and this led to fundraising for the Democratic Party. After the unfortunate outcome of the 2016 election, she cofounded a political advocacy group called Get2Work, empowering citizens to become engaged stakeholders in policy and lobbying. She organized educational and outreach events, fundraised and canvassed for local candidates and created social media campaigns to provide information to voters.
