Orlando
Daisy Morales, Julio Rocha, Samuel Vilchez Santiago are Top-Tier Candidates in State House 48 Race, After Hispanic Straw Poll
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando (HCCMO) released the results of its Political Hob Nob straw poll yesterday and showed by the numbers what was ostensibly true: In the Florida House District 48 Democratic primary race, despite the fierce five-candidate competition, all eyes are on Orange Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor Daisy Morales, Julio Rocha and Samuel Vilchez Santiago.
Image: Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando (HCCMO) (screen capture)
According to the straw poll, Supervisor Morales, who did not participate, still garnered 18 percent of the votes–tying with Julio Rocha, who participated–just four percentage points shy of Samuel Vilchez Santiago, who won among the Democratic primary candidates at 22 percent. Jesus Martinez, the Republican in the HD48 race, won the straw poll at 32 percent.
While Rocha brings with him a host of relationships in the business community, the race’s buzz seems to center around the novelty of Vilchez Santiago’s new blood and Morales’s countywide name recognition, which inspires joy in her supporters and acrimony in her detractors.
Rocha paid the $250 for HCCMO’s standard hob nob package, which included:
- a photo and link to the campaign site from HCCMO’s “Meet the Candidates” section of its website
- a pre-hob nob video message (up to three minutes long) featured on the Chamber’s social media and in its email newsletter
- an introduction video (three minutes max as well) shown during the hob nob as part of its Parade of Candidates
- a virtual booth during the hob nob with an ad and link to the campagin website
- 10 unique invitations to participate in the straw poll
Morales, who has a longstanding relationship with the Chamber, didn’t participate in this hob nob and paid nothing but got the same result as Rocha.
Vilchez Santiago also got the standard package, while Nelson Pena went above and beyond, paying $450 for the premium package.
Despite the dropping the extra $200 for an extra 5 unique straw poll invitations, one extra video message that will be shared during election week, and a half-page ad in HCCMO’s Voter’s Guide, Pena only netted 10 percent of straw poll votes.
According to their campaign finance reports, Florida National News was unable to locate a line item listing payment for the HCCMO Hob Nob for Tony Tsonis nor Martinez, despite Martinez’s photo being featured on the hob nob website among the list of candidates. Tsonis blipped at one percent in the straw poll.
Neither Tsonis nor Morales had a photo on the hob nob website.
Vilchez Santiago’s campaign recently received a financial boost with support from Equality Florida Action PAC and Florida Medical Association PAC, the numbers for which will be available in the next campaign financial report. According to the most recent report, which shows transactions ending the last week in July, Vilchez Santiago’s campaign raised $10,564.15 and spent $8,160.85. His campaign has raised a total $43,516.88.
Morales loaned her campaign $10,000 on July 10, bringing her campaign total to $15,007.
As of July 31, Rocha’s campaign has raised a total of $25,802.96 and spent $21,749.64.
With the Democratic primary election just weeks away, this race promises to heat up. Follow Florida National News as we continue providing updates.
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Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.
Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.
Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.
Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.
This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
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