The battle for the
Democrats’ gloves off in Congressional District 9 primary
Democratic nomination for Congressional District 9 has Darren Soto and Alan Grayson trading harsh words.
The most bitterly fought primary in Central Florida this year is for Congress District 9, where incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto faces a challenge from former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.
The race has gotten ugly and personal.
Soto, 40, the first person of Puerto Rican descent to be elected to Congress in Florida, defeated Grayson’s wife, Dina, and Grayson’s former district director Susannah Randolph in the 2016 Democratic primary for the seat, which includes Osceola County and parts of Orange and Polk counties. Grayson, a nationally known liberal firebrand, had stepped aside to make an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate.
Now Grayson is back, taking on Soto, a freshman congressman. Grayson is touting his progressive credentials. But Soto, once considered a relatively moderate Democrat in his days as a state representative, is getting a string of endorsements from liberal groups that once backed Grayson.
District 9 is considered a Democratic-leaning seat, with Democrats making up almost 40 percent of all voters compared with about 27 percent for Republicans.
However, Hispanic voters in the district, considered the heart of the Puerto Rican community in Florida, are 47 percent Democratic and 41 percent unaffiliated, leaving large numbers unable to vote in the closed
partisan primary Aug. 28.
The winner will face Republican Wayne Liebnitsky on Nov. 6.
Who they are
Alan Grayson, 60, of Windermere, served three terms in Congress from 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2015.
Darren Soto, 40, of Kissimmee, has served one term in Congress after four years in the state Senate and five years in the state House.
Where they stand
Grayson said the impeachment of President Donald Trump, health care, Social Security and Medicare, gun control and immigration are the biggest issues in the district.
“On health care, I have come up with practical measures that have bipartisan support, like my Medicare You Can Buy Into Act and my Seniors Have Eyes, Ears and Teeth Act,” he said, the latter of which would add optical, dental and ear care to Medicare. “The Democratic Leadership has said that these will be ‘the next big thing’ when Democrats retake the House.”
On Social Security and Medicare, Grayson said he ”sketched out the first real seniors platform in 50 years,” including proposals to increase cost-of-living for senior benefits and a bill to keep Social Security solvent “permanently.”
Grayson also cited his vote for the DREAM Act, the bill to protect adults brought into the country illegally as children, and sought to extend temporary protected status to Venezuelans and others in Latin America.
Soto said the biggest issues are the need for more higher-paying jobs and affordable housing, as well as preserving Social Security. He has called for increased federal funding to finance and build affordable housing and also wants investments in infrastructure to help local businesses and create jobs.
Soto said he was at the forefront of efforts to help Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican evacuees after Hurricane Maria in September. He cited his office’s work to help secure extensions for transitional sheltering assistance vouchers for housing, “and led the charge to prevent Trump from stopping water and food from going to the island.”
He said issues related to the Hispanic community affect the district heavily, “whether it’s disaster relief or stopping the separation of families and [Trump’s] zerotolerance policy.”
Where they differ
The race between Soto and Grayson has already included allegations of Grayson paying protesters to picket Soto events, which Grayson denies, and Grayson criticizing Soto for past contributions from the DeVos family, including in 2016, which Soto returned.
Thursday’s debate hosted by the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida brought things to another level. Soto cited the 2016 House ethics report that said there was “a substantial reason to believe” Grayson may have violated House ethics rules in connection with a hedge fund he ran and other actions. Grayson responded by saying there was no followup investigation.
Soto also accused Grayson of not being respectful of women, referring to terms such as “gold-digger” and others Grayson used against the mother of his children in their civil court dispute. Grayson countered by alluding to Soto’s wife’s arrest on charges of drunken intoxication at Walt Disney World.
But amid all that, the two also touched on some of their political disputes.
Grayson cited Soto’s past votes in the Florida House to approve transvaginal ultrasounds, which Soto said he regretted. Soto pointed to his several endorsements by Planned Parenthood and his abortion rights voting record in Congress.
Grayson also mentioned Soto’s past A rating by the National Rifle Association while in the statehouse and Grayson’s own role in a congressional sit-in after the Pulse shooting in Orlando. Soto, whose NRA rating fell to a D in 2016, pointed to endorsements by Gabby Giffords’ gun reform group and the Pride Fund to End Gun Violence.
Soto asked where Grayson was in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September while he and his staff were on the ground helping people. Grayson said Soto should have done more in pushing for disaster relief and vouchers.
The two also differed on impeachment, with Grayson calling for the immediate impeachment of Trump while Soto said he wanted to wait until the independent counsel investigation is complete.
slemongello@ orlandosentinel.com; 407-418-5920; Twitter: @stevelemongello