Tamika Lyles
Tamika was born in Tennessee, where she was raised by her single mother, who worked in two jobs. Having a female presence so strong to guide her, Tamika came to understand that her own passion and work ethic could be a powerful force for change. In her youth, Tamika passed the Tennessee State Board exam to become the youngest certified nursing assistant in the program's history. She volunteered as a Pre-Med student at the largest public hospital in the county and continued her participation in medicine and the community led her to graduate from high school a year early.
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Upon obtaining her bachelor's degree, she volunteered to serve in the United States Air Force. Tamika used her training within the medical field to provide medical services to her military family in need. After receiving an honorable discharge from the military, she continued to demonstrate her passion for philanthropy by pursuing her law degree at Birmingham School of Law. Her focus on civil rights, criminal law and fair justice gained her immense attention. She was elected President of the Black Law Students Association after completing only her first year. She was also an active student member of the Alabama Lawyers Association, Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity, and chosen to intern with Justice U. W. Clemon, the first African American appointed to Alabama’s Federal Court..
Due to her father's illness, Tamika urgently relocated to Florida to assist in his recovery. To make ends meet, she worked in the public school system and completed her Master's degree in Law. While teaching high school students, she noticed the overwhelming number of homeless children and the limited resources available. Tamika started a business providing civil mediation focused on homelessness prevention by providing services to individuals and families facing eviction. She also took on work with veterans and clients who lacked the resources to pursue social security and disability claims on their own to create income for individuals who were unable to work. Motivated by the overwhelming number of unarmed individuals being killed, Tamika expanded her mediation focus to include negotiating and influencing policy changes for fair treatment of individuals and preventing civil rights violations. The loss of her brother due to a lack of sufficient healthcare led her to become the Founder of Standing Heroes for Average Workers, Inc. (S.H.A.W.), a non-profit organization centered around bridging the gap between legislators and the community while advocating for homelessness prevention, affordable housing and healthcare, and increased funding for public schools. Continuing to pour into the next generation of leaders, Tamika is currently an Adjunct Professor at a South Florida university while completing her research as a 2025 Doctoral Candidate in Law and Public Policy.
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She has further demonstrated her ability to be a trailblazer by becoming the founding President of the Osceola County Democratic Black Caucus. Tamika didn't stop there. She became the founding Vice-President of the Osceola County Democratic Veteran's Caucus while sitting on the Board of the Florida Democratic Black Caucus. She remained active with her local Democratic Executive Committee (DEC), where she sat on the DEC Steering Committee and headed a local precinct to encourage voter turnout. She was also a member of the Board of the Florida Democratic Progressive Caucus and the Progressive Democrats of America Central Florida, all while continuing to advocate and support affordable healthcare initiatives with Medicare for All Florida.
āTamika Lyles has proven to be a dedicated mediator, philanthropist, and passionate advocate. Her enthusiasm for social change, avid interest in law and public policy, combined with her multi-level ideas have led her to seek a seat in the United States Senate from the State of Florida, fighting for working-class communities everywhere. Her platform is built around promoting affordable healthcare for all including maintaining Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, supporting and increasing funding for public education, increasing veterans support, and minimizing poverty by removing barriers for all working families and supporting efforts that create an affordable and stable economy for all. She will ensure the voices of the people are represented. The intersection of these issues with human rights, peace, and safety will ensure a stronger economy and a happier livelihood for all people.
