Rosario Kennedy
Encyclopedia
Rosario Kennedy was the first Cuban American
woman on the City of Miami Commission, former Vice Mayor of the City of Miami and candidate for Florida's 18th congressional district
in 1989 to replace Claude Pepper
that was eventually won by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
.
Kennedy was the daughter of Elicio Arguelles Menocal, a former senator of Cuba, and Micaela Freyre de Andrade y Valdes Pita. Both her father and grandfather were senators of Cuba and her great uncle was President of Cuba (Mario García Menocal
).
In 1960, when Kennedy was 14 she left Cuba going into exile. She graduated with a scholarship from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich
, Connecticut
. At 17, she married Gustavo Godoy Andrews, who would become news director at WLTV
-Channel 23 in Miami. They would have three children, Gustavo, Maria del Rosario, and Michelle Godoy-Arguelles. By the time she was 25, Kennedy was divorced. She then became a real estate agent, ultimately being named in 1979, "Business Woman of the Year" by the international business magazine, Mundo Latino.
On November 4, 1978, Kennedy married former City of Miami Mayor, David T. Kennedy
. David Kennedy used his political connections to get her appointed by the Governor of Florida to the Florida Hospital Cost Containment Board in 1985.
In 1985, she ran for the City of Miami Commission against the incumbent, Demetrio Perez. She won that election and was later elected by her peers on the commission as Vice Mayor. In 1987, the Kennedys’ divorced. In 1989, after the death of Claude Pepper, Kennedy resigns her commission seat to run as a Democrat for the Florida's 18th Congressional seat. She lost in the democratic primary to Gerald Richman, who would eventually lose to Ileana Ros-Lehtenen.
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
woman on the City of Miami Commission, former Vice Mayor of the City of Miami and candidate for Florida's 18th congressional district
Florida's 18th congressional district
Florida's 18th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. Based in South Florida, the district includes portions of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The Miami-Dade section includes most of the city of Miami, the South Beach section of Miami Beach, and many of...
in 1989 to replace Claude Pepper
Claude Pepper
Claude Denson Pepper was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for left-liberalism and the elderly. In foreign policy he shifted from pro-Soviet in the 1940s to anti-Communist in the 1950s...
that was eventually won by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party....
.
Kennedy was the daughter of Elicio Arguelles Menocal, a former senator of Cuba, and Micaela Freyre de Andrade y Valdes Pita. Both her father and grandfather were senators of Cuba and her great uncle was President of Cuba (Mario García Menocal
Mario García Menocal
Aurelio Mario García Menocal y Deop was President of Cuba, from 1913 to 1921...
).
In 1960, when Kennedy was 14 she left Cuba going into exile. She graduated with a scholarship from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. At 17, she married Gustavo Godoy Andrews, who would become news director at WLTV
WLTV
WLTV-DT is a Univision owned and operated station serving Spanish-speaking viewers in South Florida. The station is located in Doral, where Univision's production facilities are also located. The transmitter is located in Miami Gardens...
-Channel 23 in Miami. They would have three children, Gustavo, Maria del Rosario, and Michelle Godoy-Arguelles. By the time she was 25, Kennedy was divorced. She then became a real estate agent, ultimately being named in 1979, "Business Woman of the Year" by the international business magazine, Mundo Latino.
On November 4, 1978, Kennedy married former City of Miami Mayor, David T. Kennedy
David T. Kennedy
David Thomas Kennedy is an attorney and former Mayor of Miami.Kennedy received his BA and MA from Florida State University and graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 1958...
. David Kennedy used his political connections to get her appointed by the Governor of Florida to the Florida Hospital Cost Containment Board in 1985.
In 1985, she ran for the City of Miami Commission against the incumbent, Demetrio Perez. She won that election and was later elected by her peers on the commission as Vice Mayor. In 1987, the Kennedys’ divorced. In 1989, after the death of Claude Pepper, Kennedy resigns her commission seat to run as a Democrat for the Florida's 18th Congressional seat. She lost in the democratic primary to Gerald Richman, who would eventually lose to Ileana Ros-Lehtenen.