Full Breakdown
Smear Text Campaign Targets Democratic Candidate Shevrin Jones in Florida Primary
8/12/2026, 4:52:16 AM
The Disputed Text Messages
On a Tuesday in July 2026, voters in Florida’s 24th congressional district received a mass-text that falsely claimed state Senator Shevrin Jones, a gay Black candidate, had been denied a blood donation because he is HIV-positive. The messages were crafted to appear as an appeal for sympathy from the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, but the group confirmed the texts were fabricated and not authorized by them.
Prior Similar Tactics
A comparable smear effort surfaced in 2022 during Jones’s state-Senate campaign after a Miami Herald story reported that he was turned away from donating plasma because of an FDA policy restricting donations from gay and bisexual men.
Official Responses
Equality Florida denounced the campaign as “a disgusting attack” that weaponizes HIV stigma and a Black man’s identity. The organization’s spokesperson emphasized that the messages prey on anti-gay prejudice and violate federal campaign-advertising disclosure rules. Jones rejected the allegations, stating that he does not have HIV and that such attacks only deepen stigma for people living with the virus.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We can all see it for what it is: a desperate attempt by a shady, dark money group supporting one of Shev’s opponents that trafficks in ugly tropes, misrepresents a trusted statewide organization, and weaponizes a Black man’s identity.” — Sen. Shevrin Jones
- “What makes it so disgusting is that somebody decided to use my sexuality and HIV as weapons in a political campaign,” — Sen. Shevrin Jones
The primary, scheduled for later this month, will determine the Democratic nominee for the district, with the smear campaign adding a contentious layer to an already competitive race.
