Meet the Central Florida candidates in the Nov. 3 general election
Here is a look at the candidates in key races across Central Florida. To read more about them and other election issues, including the constitutional amendments, go to orlandosentinel.com/2020 and click on the online Voters Guide.
Congress District 7
Rep. StephanieMurphy, 42, ofWinter Park, a two-term U.S. congresswoman, cited her effectivenessandbipartisanship over her two terms in office, including her work ending the ban on federal gun violence research.
Leo Valentín, 35, of Orlando, a radiology doctor, stressed his medical background and said health care, including removing government from health care decisions, is his biggest issue.
District 9
Rep. Darren Soto, 42 of Kissimmee is a two-term U.S. congressman and the first Florida representative of Puerto Rican descent. Soto, a Democrat, said the next Congress will need to help in the coronavirus response and said he wants to pass a $1.5 trillion nationwide infrastructure package.
William Olson, 56, of Davenport, a retired U.S. Army sergeant first class and a Walt Disney World employee, said reopening the economywas important and the unemployed should be taken care of, but the government should not “pay more for unemployment than the person would get in their regular job.” He is a Republican.
District 10
Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings, 63, rose to national prominence as an impeachment manager against President Donald Trump then as a potential running mate for Joe Biden. She believes the COVID-ravaged economy will not recover until the virus is under control and supports another emergency relief package approved by Congress.
Republican candidate Vennia Francois, 46, of Orlando, is a lawyer and former U.S. Senate aide. School choice, immigration and human trafficking are the biggest issues she hears about from supporters. Francois believes federal government regulations on businesses need to be reduced to spur job creation and economic growth.
State Senate District 9
Jason Brodeur, 45, of Sanford, a former member of the Florida House from 2010 to 2018, wants to expand school vouchers that allow children to attend private schools using diverted tax dollars and providemore access to health care via the private market.
Patricia Sigman, 53, of Longwood, a labor attorney, said expanding Medicaid in Florida was her top priority. She also wants to protect clean water and the environment and fully fund public education.
StateHouse
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District 28
Rep. David Smith, R-Winter Springs, 60, is a retiredMarine Corps colonel who flew helicopter missions in Iraq. During his freshman term, he said, he was successful in passing 10 appropriations and six policy bills, though he said he has “unfinished business.”
PashaBaker, aDemocrat fromSanford, runs the GoldsboroWest Side Community Historical Association. Baker, 39, said protecting Seminole County’s rural boundary is a key issue for her, citing flooding issues caused by over development.
District 29
Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, is a business owner who’s served in the House for a total of 10 years. Plakon, 61, wants to fix Florida’s “train wreck” unemployment system and kickstart the state economy again as it emerges from the coronavirus-induced recession.
Tracey Kagan, 59, is a Longwood resident and criminal defense attorney who’s seeking her first elected office. She said she’s running because she feels like it’s her turn to turn to give back and help people in her community, especially those who have struggled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
District 30
Bob Cortes, 57, a Republican from Longwood, is trying to win back the seat he held from 2014 to 2018. He wants to help guide the state through the pandemic and provide representation for the district’s Hispanic voters.
Rep. JoyMarcil-Goff, D-Maitland, said she’s helped defend the state against bad policies from the Republican-controlled Legislature. She said she’s an environmentally conscious lawmakerwhowould help protect the rural boundary. District 42
FredHawkins, 53 of St. Cloud, said his top priorities are to improve per-student education funding, where Osceola is currently last in the state. He also said businesses should be shielded from lawsuits associated with their reopening. Hawkins, a Republican, was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis from his Osceola County Commission seat after his felony arrest for impersonating a law enforcement officer.
Barbana Ann Cady, 63, a Democrat from Lake Wales, said her campaign is focused on issues that matter most to middle-class families, like the expense of housing, the county’s congested traffic and low wages. She also wantsMedicaid expansion and is a part of the Florida Rights of Nature Network, a group campaigning for waterways, forests, oceans and other ecosystems to be named “injured parties” in legal action.
District 44
Geraldine Thompson, 71, the Democratic incumbent, previously servedthree terms in the stateHouse and two terms in the state Senate representingwestern Orange County. She wants to change the unemployment system and diversify
Florida’s tourism-heavy economy.
Bruno Portigliatti, 32, a Republican, is president of Florida Christian University and CEO of Excellence Senior Living. He wants to support families and small businesses that have been hurt by the pandemic and relax regulations that stifle job growth.
District 47
Rep. Anna Eskamani, 30, of Orlando, has servedtwo years inthe FloridaHouse and is a nonprofit consultant at NEO Philanthropy. Eskamani, a former state official at Planned Parenthood, wants to extend the number of weeks people are eligible for unemployment insurance and raise the amount of money they’re eligible for.
Jeremy Sisson, 42, a Republican from Orlando and CEO of Evan James and Associates, a commercial real estate brokerage in downtown Orlando, said he’s running to be a voice for businesses and would prioritize helping them receive low-interest loans and grants to safely and effectively reopen following the pandemic.
District 48
Daisy Morales, 59, emerged from a five-candidate Democratic primary in August as the favorite in the race to replace Amy Mercado, who is running for Orange County Property Appraiser. The district favors Democrats, who outnumber registered Republicans by about 30,000 voters. The New York-bornMorales declined to be interviewed about her views on issues.
Born in Puerto Rico, Jesus Martinez, 48, a Republican owner of a real-estate company in Lake Nona, came to Florida in 1999 and learned English while in law school. He has served his community as a pastor, youth basketball coach and Spanish language TV host. Hewants to fix the state’s unemployment system and provide more incentives for affordable housing.
Orange County State attorney
MoniqueWorrell, 44, was the director of the Conviction Integrity Unit at Ninth Circuit State Attorney Aramis Ayala’s office before leaving in2019 towork as chief legal officer for Reform Alliance, the national criminal justice reform organization co-founded by Jay-Z andMeek Mill. She has pledged to keep juveniles out of the adult criminal justice system when possible, increase police accountability, seek less-severe sentences for non-violent crimes and reform the cash bail system.
Jose Torroella, 63, a non-party affiliated candidate, is a former prosecutor and longtime defense attorney. He describes his opponent as a radical who would leave the Ninth Circuit in “anarchy” and argues there is currently “no deterrent to not commit crimes” in Orange and Osceola counties, despite falling crime rates in those counties. He is running on the slogan
“do the crime, do the time” and argues imprisonment is the only effective deterrent for criminals, who are “seldom rehabilitated.”
School Board District 4 runoff
Prince Brown, 57, is a public health officer with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If elected, he said he would push to build schools more quickly in HorizonWest and other fast-growing areas and to get rid of portable classrooms, which he thinks pose safety risks. He wants the board to be more responsive to parent and staff concerns, eliminate wasteful spending and do more to boost teacher morale. He views his career in public health as a useful one for the board during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pam Gould, 57, is the incumbent who has held the seat since 2012. She is the CEOof Shepherd’sHope, which provides free medical care to low-income residents. If re-elected, she said she would continue to work on responding to rapid residential growth in southwestern Orange County, which has led to school crowding and new school construction. Expanding career and technical programs and boosting mental health programs for students are also priorities, she said, as is finding ways to boost teacher pay.
District 5 runoff
Vicki-Elaine Felder, 63, is a veteran teacher who works at Edgewater High School. Her 40 years in public education in Orange County, she said, gives her deep knowledge about the system that would benefit the school board. If elected, she’dwork to improvecommunication between parents and teachers and the district, increase technology training and boost teacher pay and morale. She’d also encourage young adults to consider teaching careers.
Michael Scott, 38, is a coordinator for Orlando’sMy Brother’s Keeper program, a mentoring initiative, and a longtime community volunteer. He said his work helping at-risk Black and Hispanic boys in local schools has given him a window into what families need. He’d push for more occupational training and internships and better mental health services for students. Hewants the board to listen more to parents, teachers and students and to see teachers salaries increased.
Seminole County Tax Collector
J.R. Kroll, 49, of Sanford, is a real estate broker and owner of JR Kroll Realty. A Republican, he advocates for more transparency and says the tax collector’s budget should be posted online, detailing where every dollar is spent.
LynnMoira Dictor, 60, of LakeMary, is a former journalist and radio talk show personality. A Democrat, Dictor wants to conduct a financial audit that would detail where public money was directed by formerTaxCollectorJoelGreenberg. She alsowants to put in place an ethics policy.
Sheriff
Dennis Lemma, 48, is the incumbent, seeking a second term. In his first four years as sheriff, Lemma has led the fight against the opioid epidemic in Seminole and across Florida. He advocates focusingonthe root causes of crime, like addiction and mental health issues. A Republican and an almost 30-year veteran of SCSO, he has amassed a political account
of almost five times that of his opponent.
Paul “Spike” Hopkins, 53, is a retired Orange County sheriff’s lieutenant. He argues the Seminole Sheriff’s Office has lost its focus on responding to crime and residents’ calls. He said he’d increase the numberof patrol deputiesanddevelop an app that residents could use to get information about their neighborhood and help the agency find suspects or missing children. He previously ran for Orange sheriff as aRepublican but is running as a Democrat in this election.
County commission District 1
Bob Dallari, 61, the Republican incumbent and a Disney employee, was first elected in 2004 and is seeking his fifth term. He vowsto protect the rural boundary from incursions by major developers. “I’ve always said: ‘Let’s keep it rural.’”
Katrina Shadix, 50, a Democrat who lost in 2018 by a razor-thin margin to now commission Chairman Jay Zembower, said shewould push for a county requirement that any zoning or land-use change within the rural boundary would need a unanimous vote.
District 3
Incumbent Republican commissioner Lee Constantine, 67, says protecting the rural boundary is one of the most important issues.“Therural boundary is so vital to the future and soul of Seminole County,” said the Altamonte Springs resident.
Democrat Kim Buchheit, 60, a land surveyor and owner of Buchheit Associates Inc., Surveyors and Mappers, in Apopka, agreed with Constantine regarding the rural boundary. She said residents do not get a fair chance at voicing their opposition at public meetings.
District 5
Republican Andria Herr, 59, said she’s a pro-business candidate who supports protecting the environment. She advocates for keeping taxes low, especially during the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Democrat Pernell Bush, 32, a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Iraq
War and owner of K.E.Y. Counseling Solutions in Oviedo, said his priorities are transparency in government, keeping taxes low, affordable housing and protecting the rural boundary. He is a Sanford resident.
Libertarian Andre Klass, 28, is a lifelong Seminole County resident who said “citizen empowerment” is a top issue in his campaign and wants to make county government more accessible and transparent for residents. Residents are too often ignored by commissioners.
Osceola County County commission District 3
Brandon Arrington, is a12-year incumbent Democrat, who is also the executive director of Osceola Arts. Arrington said the countyneeds to buildmore affordable housing units near where people work and to attract higher-wage jobs to diversify the county economy beyond tourism.
JeffHawk, 39 of Poinciana, is a retired U.S. Army sergeant and said he’s running because he and others have lost trust in their county commission. Hawk said he would seek to ban late additions to county agendas, which he said have led to controversial decisions that prevented public scrutiny.
Marcos Marrero, a 31-year-old Libertarian, is an office manager at a downtownOrlando lawfirm. Marrero also said he’d ban late additions to county agendas and would focus on luring retail businesses to Poinciana.
Dr. Ivan Rivera is running with no party affiliation, and is a physician. He said he’s a former captain in the National Guard in Puerto Rico. Rivera took issue with developers contributing to the campaigns of elected officials.
District 5
Ricky Booth, a Republican, is an Osceola County School Board member and cattle rancher. Booth said the county needs to curtail “out of control” residential growth and craft a development plan to better pay for schools, roads and other infrastructure.
Tahitiana Chaffin, is a realtor and former police officer in North Carolina. Chaffin, a Democrat, said she’d propose policies cracking down on conflicts of interest, and would move to ban family members of commissioners frombidding on county contracts.
Sheriff
Marco López, a Democrat and former deputy who manages a security consulting firm, touts his experience working in various capacities at the Sheriff’s Office and 22 years in theU.S. Navy. Aveteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, López argues his experience in intelligence gathering and anti-terrorism operations would benefit the agency. Both he and his opponent are running as reformers intent on increasing transparency and community trust.
Tony Fernández, who retired from the Sheriff’s Office this year after 15 years with the agency, is running without party affiliation. He argues his experience as a lifelong cop has given him an understanding of agency operations thatwould help him change it from within. He has worked as a detective, a patrol deputy and a field training officer, among other roles.
Lake County County Commission District 5
Josh Blake, 39, a Republican, was elected to the commission in 2016 after working as a legislative aide in Florida House District 33. He lives in unincorporated Lady Lake and also has worked with the career development center at Beacon College in Leesburg. Blake said it is important for the county to continue to diversify its tax base and keep up with infrastructure needs. He has voted against millage increases that would increase property tax bills. Blake supported the move of the statue of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith to Lake because he said it’s “none of the County Commission’s business” telling an independent museum board what it could or could not do.
Gabriel AaronRuiz, 36, running as a no party affiliated candidate, is from Fruitland Park and served10 years in theMarine Corps before he was honorably discharged in 2012. He works for Lake County in traffic operations. Ruiz points to his experience in database analysis, which he says will help “in strict managing of internal cost through calculated spending and efficiency.” Lake has great potential and natural charm, but Ruiz said people in decision-making positions don’t know how to handle the potential. That can cause problems in a rapidly growing county, so it is important, he said, to have a long-term plan to sustain the growth but maintain good quality of life. He sees the opportunity to create countywide utility systems to create jobs and offer “more options in power and connectivity.” As a veteran, Ruiz would like to focus on the community to create training opportunities.
School Board District 4
Mollie B. Cunningham, 59, of Tavares, worked 36 years as a teacher and school administrator, retiring as principal of Carver Middle School in Leesburg. She touts her experience working in Lake County schools and said teachers and all employees deserve a raise. “We lose a lot of teachers because our salaries are not commensurate with surrounding counties,” she said. Cunninghamsaid if elected she will work to be sure all voices are heard, including through planned regional town hall meetings.
Betsy Farner, 61, of unincorporated Tavares, taught 37 years, including at Tavares Elementary, Middle and High School, with 20 of those as a science teacher. She retired in June. Farner said her experience in the classroomgives her a unique perspective on the needs of students. She favors the move away from Common Core, which she said focused too much on testing and college prep. Farner wants to see Lake work to improve its graduation rate and said more vocational education will help lower the dropout rate.