[1] Baez was born in the Dominican Republic and raised there by her grandmother after her parents divorced and her mother moved to New York City to support her family.

She joined the U.S. Army in 1980, and served for three years as a Preventive Medicine Specialist in the 1st Cavalry Division Surgeon's Office in Fort Hood, Texas.

The group is a nonprofit organization with the mission of advocating for and supporting healthcare services by and for the Dominican community in Florida.

Her campaign focused on supporting affordable healthcare, equal pay, and public education, including the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

[citation needed] Baez resigned from the House on November 1, 2017, as part of an agreement to plead guilty to a misdemeanor perjury charge.