Dr. Cindy Banyai Speaks to Marco Democrats

After writing 3,000 postcards to encourage voter turnout and collecting more than 130 pounds of rice for Our Daily Bread food pantry, members of the Democratic Women’s Club of Marco welcomed Cindy Banyai to their September meeting at Mackle Park. Over 40 members participated in person and via Zoom.

Banyai asked meeting attendees to support her congressional campaign against incumbent Byron Donalds in Florida’s 19th district, where she is running for the second time. When she described herself “a fighter” it was not the typical campaign rhetoric. While in graduate school, Banyai competed as a professional boxer. It taught her, she says, “never to quit.”

Identifying herself as “the mother of three public school kids,” Banyai spoke passionately about the importance of protecting and enhancing public school education and improving healthcare services in Southwest Florida. Having dealt with daunting bills resulting from one of her children’s rare blood disorder, Banyai spoke of the high incidence of bankruptcy caused by medical bills and the urgent need to address that problem.

She presented her professional experience as having prepared her for public service and a role in government spending oversight. Fluent in many languages after working in Asia and with clients from Africa and South America, early in her career Banyai was a congressional intern for both Republican and Democratic house members. After earning her B.A. from Michigan State University, where she studied international relations and psychology and minored in economics, she went on to earn both a master’s and a Ph.D. from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan. There she focused on community development, public administration, evaluation and governance. “I have worked with foreign governments on how to be efficient and effective,” she said. “I have advocated at the United Nations.”

Currently, Banyai consults on community development and teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). A candidate who does not accept corporate money, she is seeking both volunteers and donors at cindybanyai.com. She will participate in an October 3rd debate with Donalds sponsored by the Collier County Chamber of Commerce and televised by FGCU.

The DWCM will host its next meeting at Mackle Park on October 11. For more information on meetings, membership or supporting our charitable efforts go to dwcmarco.org or contact us at info@dwcmarco.org.