Dr. Rudolph “Rudy” Moise has spent decades moving between examination rooms, military service, business and community work. Now, he says that experience has prepared him to represent Florida’s 24th Congressional District.
During an interview on That Part Podcast, Moise described himself as a Haitian immigrant who came to the United States with little more than a determination to build a better life. He went on to become a physician, attorney, entrepreneur and retired Air Force Reserve colonel.
“I came with very little, but with a strong determination to build a better life,” Moise said. “I studied hard. I stayed focused, and little step by step, I built up my life.”
Moise is one of seven Democrats seeking the District 24 seat in the Aug. 18 primary. The district includes communities in Miami Dade and Broward counties. The winner will advance to the November general election.
For about 40 years, Moise said, he has provided medical care in South Florida, beginning with a small office near Northwest 119th Street before expanding his practice. He also earned a law degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Miami.
Moise said his decision to join the Air Force Reserve was rooted in gratitude for the opportunities he received after immigrating to the United States. He served as a flight surgeon, caring for pilots and training to respond during in flight emergencies.
He said that experience reinforced three values he still carries: integrity, service before self and excellence in everything he does.
“Whatever you do, you do it with integrity,” Moise said. “Service before self is duty and dedication before your own self interest.”
Moise previously ran for Congress in 2010 and 2012. In 2010, he finished second to Frederica Wilson in a nine candidate Democratic primary for the former 17th Congressional District. He challenged Wilson again in 2012 and later supported her work in the community.
After Wilson decided not to seek another term, Moise entered the District 24 race. He said the newly configured district more closely reflects the Miami Dade community where he has treated patients and built relationships for decades.
“This is my community,” Moise said. “All my patients are here. All my activities are here.”
If elected, Moise said health care would be one of his first priorities. He wants to expand Medicaid, restore Affordable Care Act subsidies and lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 55.
Moise said earlier Medicare eligibility would allow more adults to receive screenings and treatment for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and heart disease before those illnesses become more serious. It could also help older workers retire or start businesses without immediately losing health coverage, he said.
“You can have as much money as you want, but if you’re not in good health, that’s a major issue,” Moise said. “To have a productive society, you need to be healthy.”
Moise also wants to serve on congressional committees that oversee health care and veterans’ issues. He said too many veterans return home without stable housing or access to basic necessities.
Immigration is another central part of his platform. Moise supports comprehensive immigration reform and a pathway to legal status for immigrants who have lived, worked and raised families in the United States for years without committing crimes.
He also supports extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. Moise said deporting large numbers of people to Haiti while the country faces gang violence, political instability and shortages of food and medical care would be dangerous and inhumane.
“Something must happen,” Moise said. “That’s not American. I cannot believe that this is happening in this country.”
On affordability, Moise said he would support raising the federal minimum wage to at least $17 an hour, expanding the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and providing incentives to developers that include affordable and workforce housing in their projects.
He said teachers, nurses, police officers and other workers should not have to live more than an hour away from the communities they serve.
Moise also pointed to the Small Business Administration loan that helped him expand his first medical office. He wants more entrepreneurs, including minority and women owned businesses, to receive affordable loans and opportunities to compete for federal contracts.
“I’m a businessman,” Moise said. “I’m not a career politician.”
His economic plan includes modernizing roads, bridges, ports and public transportation while attracting biotechnology, aerospace and cybersecurity companies to the district. Moise said those industries could create high paying jobs and help local businesses grow.
Transportation investments, he added, must be paired with stronger oversight to prevent design failures, costly delays and waste. He said federal officials should carefully evaluate companies receiving infrastructure contracts based on their records and qualifications.
Public health remains the work Moise said gives him the greatest sense of purpose. He described operating mobile health units that visit homeless shelters to provide testing and treatment for HIV, hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections. His team also helps patients without coverage obtain insurance and remain connected to care.
“Saving people’s lives is the highest level of service that you can render to people,” Moise said.
Moise said that same commitment would shape his approach in Washington. If voters give him the opportunity, he said he wants to use federal policy and resources to turn District 24 into what he called a “first class district.”
The Democratic primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 18. Election Day polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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