Grant Golin has been named Staff Director of the House Democratic Office under incoming House Democratic Leader Christine Hunschofsky.
Golin joined the office in September 2023 and spent three years as its analyst for the Commerce Committee. Before that, he was a Fellow at Florida State University’s Institute of Politics, now the Institute for Governance and Civics. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from FSU and graduated from the university’s Master of Applied American Politics and Policy (MAAPP) program. Golin was a Student Fellow for Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and interned in the district offices of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Hunschofsky.
Mitchell Allen is the office’s new Deputy Staff Director. He served nearly four years as Legislative Aide to state Rep. Allison Tant, who will be Caucus Whip under Hunschofsky. He was Field Director on former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson’s 2022 congressional campaign and managed Tant’s 2024 re-election campaign. The office says she outperformed the top of the ticket in that race more than any other House candidate. Allen graduated from FSU’s political science program and will soon complete the MAAPP program.
Lauren Guagliardo is Deputy Communications Director and the office’s point person for press inquiries. She joined the office in September 2025. She previously worked on local campaigns in Tampa and Gainesville and in federal and state government offices. She took a short leave this year to serve as Senior Communications Advisor to the Florida Democratic Party for the 2026 Midterm campaign. Guagliardo earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida and a MAAPP degree from FSU.
Breanna Kim is a Senior Analyst focused on education policy. She has been with the office since January 2022 and has briefed members on school choice, workforce development and academic freedom. Before joining the House Democratic Office, she worked with youth transitioning home from state-mandated residential programs and held administrative positions with the House Judiciary Committee and the Office of Public Counsel. She came to the office after a year of doctoral coursework in social work and experience as a research assistant. Kim holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work in Social Policy and Administration from FSU.
Joshua Cohen is a lawyer focused on healthcare legislation. He joined the office in September 2025 and spent the past year assisting members on vaccine mandates, AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding and scope-of-practice expansions. He previously worked in employment law, including a stint with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and worked on healthcare and gun violence prevention policy at the National Organization for Women. He interned in the office of then-state Rep. Ben Diamond. Cohen earned a B.A. in Politics and International and Global Studies from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport.
Kathryn Ashby joined the office in June 2026 as a lawyer handling justice and tax policy. She interned for former state Rep. Anna Eskamani, then clerked for the House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee. She worked in community relations at the Orange County Tax Collector’s Office and interned with the Ninth Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender. Ashby earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, with a focus on economics and political science, from FSU and a J.D. from Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
Evan Feller is Office Manager. He recently earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from FSU. Feller interned in the office of former Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman during the 2025 Legislative Session through FSU’s Governmental Relations Program and returned to the Senate Democratic Office as Intern Coordinator for the 2026 Legislative Session. He volunteered on Tant’s 2024 campaign and most recently worked in the Florida Democratic Party’s Tallahassee party affairs office.
Hunschofsky, a former Parkland Mayor, was chosen to lead House Democrats for the 2026-28 term and named her leadership team of lawmakers on Tuesday. She succeeds Fentrice Driskell as Leader for the term that begins with the Nov. 17 Organization Session.
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Ed. note: This story was drafted with assistance from AI. Editorial judgment, sourcing, and final review were performed by Peter Schorsch and the Florida Politics editorial team.
