Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Benjamin Samuel Sorensen
Ben Sorensen (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 23rd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on August 23, 2022.
Sorensen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Ben Sorensen was born in Rochester, New York. In 2008, he began serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He earned a bachelor's degree from Emory University in 2000, additional education from Duquesne University in 2002, a law degree from Georgetown University in 2007, a doctor of ministry and a master of divinity from Amridge University in 2010 and 2013, and a graduate degree from Duquesne University in 2013. His career experience includes working as a management consultant, vice mayor and commissioner of the City of Fort Lauderdale, president of Sorensen Consulting, Inc., vice president of Optimum Associates, lieutenant commander in the United States Navy Reserve, and teacher.
Sorensen has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Leadership Broward Foundation, board of directors
- Broward County Human Rights Board, former member
- Guardian Ad Litem, former first responder
- Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, board of directors
- Downtown Council Board of Governors, board of directors
- Mission United, founding member
- Dolphin Democrats, member and CD23 Straw Vote winning candidate
Elections
2022
See also: Florida's 23rd Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Florida District 23
Jared Evan Moskowitz defeated Joe Budd, Christine Scott, and Mark Napier in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 23 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jared Evan Moskowitz (D)  | 51.6 | 143,951 |
 | Joe Budd (R) | 46.8 | 130,681 | |
 | Christine Scott (No Party Affiliation) | 1.1 | 3,079 | |
 | Mark Napier (No Party Affiliation) | 0.5 | 1,338 | |
| Total votes: 279,049 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 23
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 23 on August 23, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jared Evan Moskowitz | 61.1 | 38,822 |
 | Ben Sorensen | 20.5 | 13,012 | |
 | Hava Holzhauer | 8.3 | 5,276 | |
 | Allen Ellison | 6.2 | 3,960 | |
 | W. Michael Trout | 2.2 | 1,390 | |
 | Michaelangelo Hamilton | 1.7 | 1,064 | |
| Total votes: 63,524 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 23
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 23 on August 23, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joe Budd | 37.6 | 12,592 |
 | James Pruden | 22.1 | 7,399 | |
 | Darlene Cerezo Swaffar | 11.6 | 3,872 | |
 | Christy McLaughlin | 11.4 | 3,832 | |
 | Steve Chess | 8.5 | 2,840 | |
 | Ira Weinstein | 6.9 | 2,297 | |
 | Myles Perrone | 1.9 | 639 | |
| Total votes: 33,471 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jeff Olson (R)
- Saad Suleman (R)
2014
Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. Joseph S. Geller defeated John Paul Alvarez and Benjamin Samuel Sorensen in the Democratic primary, while Martin A. Feigenbaum was unopposed in the Republican primary. Geller defeated Feigenbaum and Omar E. Recuero (L) in the general election.[2][3]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
 Joseph Geller |
61.7% | 3,314 |
| Benjamin Samuel Sorensen | 19.7% | 1,057 |
| John Paul Alvarez | 18.6% | 997 |
| Total Votes | 5,368 | |
Endorsements
In 2014, Sorensen's endorsements included the following:
- Associated Builders and Contractors - ECC
- Associated Industries of Florida (AIFPAC)
- Broward Allied Medical PAC
- Florida Chamber of Commerce
- Hollywood Commissioner Dick Blattner
- National Association of Social Workers
- The Jewish Leadership Coalition
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ben Sorensen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sorensen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
- This is a coastal district, and South Florida is ground zero for the current climate emergency. In this District we need to combat sea-level rise through proactive mitigation solutions achieved by bringing together stakeholders at the Federal and State levels. I will fight for funding for Everglades Restoration to protect our water and environment. My climate change priority includes a focus on equitable weatherization. Equitable weatherization will lower home/housing costs while also enhancing housing quality and health, such that families can retain their homes and access safe, affordable housing.
- As a member of the US Navy Reserve with significant weapons training, I feel there is no place for assault rifles in our daily lives. I support a ban on assault rifles and national background checks. The 23rd is home to Parkland, the site of one of the worst mass shootings in the country’s history, but this systemic problem plagues so many, in particular communities of color. I am committed to addressing guns/gun violence in our communities.
- Affordable housing is a major issue in this District, during my time as Vice Mayor/City Commissioner in the City of Fort Lauderdale I've been a strong and visible advocate for dynamic solutions to the housing crisis. I will bring a zealous and solution based advocacy for afforable housing solutions to CD 23.
Affordable housing- Housing costs are soaring here, and wages are not keeping pace with rents and mortgages.
Gun violence- There are too many guns on our streets. The 23rd is home to Parkland, the site of one of the worst mass shootings in the country’s history, but this systemic problem plagues so many, in particular communities of color.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Sorenson's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
GUN CONTROL REFORM
|
” |
| —Benjamin Samuel Sorenson's campaign website (2022)[5] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate U.S. House Florida District 23 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 20, 2022
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "2014 Florida Election Watch - Multi-County or District Offices," accessed September 3, 2014
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ben Sorenson Democrat for Congress 2022, “Home,” accessed August 19, 2022
