Singh gets challenger — time to finish probe
Today we’re talking about billions of untraceable tax dollars and the results of a poll that shows how Floridians view Donald Trump and Joe Biden. (Spoiler alert: From extremely polarized viewpoints.)
But first, I wanted to talk about Orange County’s exciting race for property appraiser.
OK, so I’m not sure that anyone in history has ever before used the word “exciting” to describe a race for property appraiser.
But Orange county isn’t like other places. Here, incumbent Democrat Rick Singh has made headlines for everything from a criminal investigation to accusations of strippers in his county office. (I think I’d take a hard pass on that party invite.)
And this week, things kicked into high gear when a Democratic legislator, state Rep. Amy Mercado, announced she was going to challenge Singh — even though he’s a member of her own party.
I like that. Too often, party insiders give incumbent members of their own troop a pass, even when competition’s needed. It’s the kind of tribalism and complacency that lets problems fester.
Plus, I just like giving voters choices. Mercado joins a crowded and impressive field of challengers: former FDLE agent Yesenia “Jesi” Baron, real estate exec Khalid Muneer and Matt McDonald, who used to work as a field appraiser for Singh.
If there’s a downside for the