Stafford was born in Miami, and attended St. Thomas University, where she graduated with a degree in communication arts in 1993.

Stafford also worked for Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek as a legislative aide.

In 2008, when incumbent State Representative Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall was prevented from seeking an additional term due to term limits, Stafford ran to succeed her in the Democratic primary in the 109th District.

While serving in the legislature, Stafford took a strong stance against legislation that passed through the state legislature that would "overhaul the alimony system by ending life-long payments and allowing judges to change existing deals," condemning the bill as "one-sided, anti-woman, and mean-spirited.

"[2] In 2014, Stafford joined with State Senator Dwight Bullard to propose legislation that would have raised the minimum wage in the state from $7.93 to $10.10 per hour, arguing that it would not only help families make ends meet, but would help businesses as well, observing, "When people are making more, they will spend more.