Martinez or Morales to replace Mercado
With Rep. Amy Mercado set to become the first woman elected Orange County Property Appraiser, voters will have a choice to replace her in Florida House District 48 with either Jesus Martinez or Daisy Morales, both of whom have Puerto Rican roots.
But Morales, a Democrat, has a big advantage.
The district has one of the most lopsided voter registration advantages for Democrats anywhere in the st a t e. Democrats outnumber Republicans by 30,000 voters in this south Orange County district which includes Azalea Park, Meadow Woods and Pine Castle.
About 60,000 of the District’s 108,000 registered voters identify as Hispanic, according to the Elections Supervisor’s website.
Some migrated from Puerto Rico after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island.
Mercado, who has represented the district since 2016, easily won the Democratic primary for Orange County Property Appraiser in August, ending the two-term tenure of controversial incumbent Rick Singh.
Only last-minute, write-in candidate Timothy Loucks, the former mayor of Groveland in Lake County, stands between Mercado and the constitutional office. She has said she will support Morales, but Mercado has not officially endorsed her.
The position in the Florida House pays $29,697 a year.
Who they are
A New York native, Morales, 59, has served as an elected Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor since 2014, though she was absent for meetings of the nonpartisan environmental board from March 2019 to February 2020. She has said she had tried to call into the meetings for months — even yelling into the phone —until she realized she was calling the wrong number.
Morales won the Democratic nomination Aug. 18 with 39% of the vote in the five-way primary.
Born in Puerto Rico, Martinez, 48, owns Brokers & Partners, a real-estate company in Lake Nona, where he and his wife, a teacher, have resided since 2005. He was a Church of God pastor in the Orange County community of Sky Lake for two years, coached youth basketball for seven years and formerly produced and hosted Spanishlanguage radio and TV programs.
He also holds a law degree from Barry University in Orlando, although he is not yet licensed to practice in Florida.
Martinez is making his first run for office. As the lone Republican in the race, he did not have to compete in a primary.
Where they stand
Morales declined to be interviewed and did not respond to an email seeking information about her candidacy.
During the time she failed to attend the Soil & Water Conservation District board’s meetings, she attended ribbon cuttings alongside Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, Hurricane Dorian press conferences and participated in holiday parades as a board supervisor.
Morales’ election website is www.daisyforflorida.com.
If elected, Martinez said he would work to provide incentives for affordable housing; prevent raids on the $340 million Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund; and push for an overhaul of the state’s unemployment program, including increasing benefits.
He said he worries about those economically damaged by the coronavirus pandemic, especially families facing eviction.
“We need to protect people who have suffered because of COVID,” Martinez said. “I know it will be a big issue.”
Asked about Morales’ many absences from soil and water board meetings, he said, “If elected, you need to show up.”
His election website is: www.jesusmartinez48.com
How they differ
Morales has been more politically active.
She has received endorsements of several leading Florida Democrats.
Morales also serves on the Orange County Disability Advisory Board.
Martinez has been active in the community as a pastor, a coach and a businessman.
When he came to Florida from Puerto Rico in 1999, he did not speak English well.
“I know exactly what the people go through when they come here because I went through it,” Martinez said.
He was invited to the White House in October 2019 to participate in a conference on Hispanic concerns.