Esteban Morello 2024 presidential campaign: Difference between revisions

|candidate = '''[[Esteban Morello]]'''<br>[[Governor of Cuba]] ''(2021–present)''

The '''2024 presidential campaign of Esteban Morello''' was formally launched on May 31, 2023, at a rally held in his hometown of {{W|Trinidad, Cuba}}. Morello is the sixth and most recent candidate to formally enter the [[2024 Civic Democratic Party presidential primaries|primary elections]] to secure the [[Civic Democratic Party of the Antilles|Civic Democratic]] nomination for the [[2024 Antillean presidential election]]. He is the second Civic Democratic candidate from [[Cuba]] after Representative [[Sarah Wilson]] as well as being the first [[Hispanic and Latino Antilleans|Hispanic]] candidate, the first incumbent [[Governor (Antilles)|governor]], and the first [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] Civic Democratic presidential candidate as well.

Esteban Morello had began his political career in 2012 when he ran for the [[United Commonwealth House of Representatives]] to represent [[Cuba's 21st congressional district|Cuba's 21st district]] in the chamber. Morello was successfully elected by a margin of 53.1% and his margin would continue to grow as the district became more blue and [[Liberalism in the Antilles|liberal]]-leaning during his tenure as a congressional representative between 2013 and 2021. Morello was previously a member of the [[Reform Party (Antilles)|Reform Party]] before its merger with the [[Liberal Party (Antilles)|Liberal]] and [[Civic National Party (Antilles)|Civic National]] parties to create the modern Civic Democratic Party in 2017, a merger that he voiced support for. As a Congressional Representative, Morello stood out for his vocal criticisms of the Federalist Party, criticising the conservative policies of its congressional memebrs and those of the [[Michael Abarough]] administration. Morello also stood out for his vocal criticisms of the [[Abarough family]] and its continued influence on national politics despite the controversy that was brought upon him as a result. Morello would gain allies amongst both mainstream liberal and progressive members of the party, often paroting the rhetoric and policy proposals made by both camps throughout his political career. In 2020, he declined to stand for re-election to the House of Representatives and instead ran for governor in his home [[Provisional commonwealth (Antilles)|commonwealth]] of Cuba against Dan Forst to "restore Cuba's greatness". Morello's campaign for governor was considered a longshot due to Frost's status as an incumbent as well as the slight lean in favor of the Federalist Party that was present in 2020 along with significant financial support given to Frost for his re-election bid. While Frost initially lead in the polls, Morello caught up and both candidates would be stuck in a statistical tie in the last months leading up to election day, however Morello outperformed the polls by defeating frost by a 5.5% margin in the general election, winning several [[Parish (Antilles)|parishes]] that were previously won by Frost and even some carried by [[Arian Lawrence]] during the [[2020 Antillean presidential election|concurrent presidential election]] on November 8.