Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet Biography
Son of a single mother who worked as a housekeeper originally from Ceará , Felipe was born in Duque de Caxias , in the Baixada Fluminense region, in Rio de Janeiro , in 1986. He immigrated to the United States in 2001 at the age of 14, brought there by an older sister who lived in Florida . In the United States, he lived as an undocumented immigrant . Even though he was living in the country illegally, he managed to study International Relations at Miami Dade College in Florida. He also graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Economics.
He began his political activism around 2006, advocating for immigrants' rights in the United States. In 2010, he participated in the Trail of Dreams , organized by Dreamers , a 1,500-km march from Florida to Washington, D. C. , to put pressure on then-President Barack Obama , to develop improvements and public policies regarding the situation of immigrants in the U.S.. The initial pressure did not materialize, as the bill did not move forward in the U.S. Congress . According to the Brazilian Mayara Paixão journalist from Folha de S. Paulo Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was approved in 2012 during Obama’s presidency .
Felipe lived in New York for a short time, then returned to Florida in 2016 to work for the City Hall of Orlando . In June of that year, in a homophobic attack, gunman Omar Mateen killed 50 people at a gay nightclub in the city. The massacre at the Pulse nightclub is still considered the deadliest attack on the LGBTQIA+ community in U.S. history. Felipe worked to support the survivors and the victims’ families. Later, she began coordinating the Hope CommUnity Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting immigrants, low-income families, and farmworkers.
In 2026, he ran as a Democratic Party candidate for a seat in the Florida Legislature, representing Florida's 42nd House of Representatives district . During the campaign, he advocated for policies promoting inclusion and expanding opportunities for Florida residents under the slogan “Thrive Together.” After receiving nearly 50,000 votes, he was elected, defeated the Republican candidate, Bonnie Jackson. Felipe became the first Brazilian to be elected to the Florida House of Representatives . He also became the first openly gay immigrant to hold a seat in the House.
Personal life
Felipe is gay. Felipe is married to Luis Sousa-Lazaballet. In 2021, he received his green card and became a U.S. citizen .
References
↑ Boechat, Nara (November 4, 2026). "O brasileiro de Duque de Caxias eleito deputado estadual na Flórida" . Veja Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ "Sousa-Lazaballet, Felipe" . LGBTQ+ Victory Fund . Archived from the original on July 15, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .↑ Fontanez, Lola; Bailey, Emmy (December 9, 2025). "House District 42 candidates Bonnie Jackson, Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet discuss issues facing Orlando residents, UCF Students" . The Charge . Archived from the original on January 3, 2026. Retrieved October 4, 2026 . ↑ Ogles, Jacob (April 7, 2025). "Carlos Guillermo Smith is latest Orlando progressive to back Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet in HD 42" . Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government . Archived from the original on April 16, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . 1 2 Zizo, Christie (November 2, 2026). "Results for the Florida House, Senate races in midterm election on Nov. 3, 2026" . WKMG . Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ "Central Florida Democrats flip six seats in state House, help end GOP supermajority" . Orlando Sentinel Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .↑ "Felipe Sousa Lazaballet, Age 40, Orlando, FL" . Florida Residents Directory . Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Paixão, Mayara (November 3, 2026). "Democrata se torna primeiro brasileiro eleito deputado estadual na Flórida" . Folha de S.Paulo Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . 1 2 3 "Quem é Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, primeiro brasileiro eleito na Flórida, nos Estados Unidos" . R7 . Rede Record . November 4, 2026. Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .1 2 3 4 Costa, Rariane (November 4, 2026). "Brasileiro Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet é eleito deputado nos EUA: 'Minha história é o sonho americano' Estadão Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . 1 2 Coelho, Thomaz (November 4, 2026). "Brasileiro é eleito deputado estadual pelo Partido Democrata na Flórida" . CNN Brasil Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ Portero, Ninette (October 21, 2026). "From the Freedom Tower to the White House: 16 years after the Trail Of Dreams" . Miami Herald . Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ Maxwell, Carrie (July 21, 2026). "Longtime LGBTQ+ activist and Dreamer makes a play for Florida statehouse" . Windy City Times . Archived from the original on June 22, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ Dwyer, Devin (January 22, 2010). "Defying Cops and Klan, Immigrants Trek 1,500 Miles to Washington" . ABC News Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ Hayes, Christal; Harris, David; Lotan, Gal Tziperman; Doornbos, Caitlin (April 13, 2017). "Exclusive: New Pulse review from Orlando police reveals details, lessons learned" . Orlando Sentinel . Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2017 . ↑ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay; Pérez-Peña, Richard (June 14, 2016). "Orlando Shooting Survivors Cope With the Trauma of Good Fortune" . The New York Times Archived from the original on June 14, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016 . The slaughter early Sunday left 49 victims dead, in addition to the gunman, and 53 wounded ... More than 30 of the wounded remained in hospitals on Tuesday, including at least six who were in critical condition. ↑ "Worst mass shooting in US history: 49 slain at Orlando gay nightclub" . ABC7 San Francisco . KGO-TV . June 13, 2016. Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .↑ "EnEndorsement: Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet understands the needs of House District 42dorsement" . Orlando Sentinel Archived from the original on October 7, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .↑ Williams, Jeremy (February 14, 2025). "LGBTQ+, immigrant rights activist Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet announces run for Florida House District 42" . Watermark Out News . Archived from the original on October 26, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ Russon, Gabrielle (July 28, 2025). "Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet will launch HD 42 campaign in Orlando Tuesday" . Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government . Archived from the original on July 30, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ Schueler, McKenna (February 14, 2025). "Immigrant rights activist Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet files to run for Florida House representing Orlando" . Orlando Weekly Archived from the original on July 2, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 . ↑ "Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet for Florida House 42" . Felipe For Florida . Archived from the original on October 23, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .↑ "Florida House District 42 General Debate" . WESH . September 2, 2026. Archived from the original on September 3, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .1 2 "Brasileiro de Duque de Caxias é eleito deputado na Flórida" . G1 Grupo Globo . November 4, 2026. Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .↑ Dyke, Zach Van (November 4, 2026). "Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet Wins District 42 Seat, Replacing Anna Eskamani" . Bungalower . Archived from the original on November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026 .