Latino
House District 48 Race: Venezuelan Candidate Samuel Vilchez Santiago Wants to Flip Puerto Rican-Held Seat
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – With 1.2 million Puerto Rican Americans in Florida compared to 200,000 Venezuelan Americans, are Puerto Rican American residents in Florida House District 48 aware of the possible power grab at hand despite the huge difference in population size?
Photo: AP.
Political newcomer Samuel Vilchez Santiago, the youngest candidate in this year’s House District 48 race, is aiming to make history as the first Venezuelan and youngest Latino to be elected to the seat, which has been held by Puerto Rican leaders for the past four terms.
Samuel Vilchez Santiago holds the Venzuelan flag. Image via Orlando Sentinel.
When the district was redrawn in 2012, Victor Torres won the seat and served for two terms before being elected to State Senate, followed by his daughter Amy Mercado, who is currently in her second term as State Representative. She opted to run for Orange County Property Appraiser (OCPA) this year, opening a frantic six-candidate race for the now open seat.
House District 48 boasts a strong Puerto Rican population, which in the state of Florida values being heard and increasing the power of its voice. As NBC News reported back in 2019, only three Puerto Ricans held seats in the state legislature and only there was only one Puerto Rican elected mayor, Joel Flores, of Greenacres in Palm Beach County. Additionally, Congressman Darren Soto was the first Puerto Rican elected to Congress from Florida and is currently running for his third term.
With Mercado running for OCPA, that drops the number of Puerto Rican state legislators from three to two in roughly one year, if one of the two Puerto Ricans running for the seat, Supervisor Daisy Morales or Nelson Pena, don’t get elected.
One may wonder, what’s the difference? But there certainly is one. Both groups want to be heard and represented in the halls of power, and the Venezuelan community’s reach is growing. With no Venezuelan Americans currently in the state legislature, a win for Vilchez Santiago would open a major door for the roughly 200,000 Venezuelan Americans in Florida to start impacting policy.
Venezuela in Florida Politics
The Miami Herald reports that Venezuelan Americans’ highest priority is twofold: get help for Venezuelans back home and help for the diaspora here in the U.S. The community realized, after witnessing Cuban Americans’ impact in South Florida, that Venezuelan Americans also need to use their voice by getting politically engaged.
Venezuelan American Republican Club of Miami-Dade County Chairman Gustavo Garagorry told the Miami Herald that if the Venezuelan community had a representative or senator in office, there would be more power to lobby in Washington.
“I think that we must fill spaces in this country so that the voice of the Venezuelan people is heard,” Garagorry shared with Miami Herald. “The Mexican, Dominican, Asian, and Cuban communities are well represented. Why not start opening paths within a diaspora that is some 20 years old? I think that is the most immediate way to get more effective help for both Venezuelans in Venezuela and those who live in the United States.”
In September 2019, the New Yorker reported on the growth and influence Venezuelan Americans have gained in South Florida politics. In his in-depth report, Jonathan Blitzer broke down the connection between Venezuela and Cuba, which caused local and national candidates to court the Venezuelan vote as well as the Cuban vote, particularly in South Florida.
The connection: a powerful trade. The New Yorker reports:
Since 2000, Venezuela has supplied Cuba with some twenty-one billion dollars’ worth of oil; in return, in 2008, the Castros began supplying Venezuela with Cuban intelligence agents, to monitor its military and to quell political opponents.
That said, the Cuban community, now the dominant Hispanic group in South Florida, is keenly invested in what happens in Venezuela and supports Venezuelan Americans in the political arena.
According the New Yorker, political strategists assessed that Puerto Rican voters’ primary priority was Puerto Rico’s statehood.
The Impact on HD48
Orange County’s Puerto Rican community was already on high alert when State Representative Amy Mercado chose not to run for re-election, but how did the community react to Mercado’s recent endorsement of Vilchez Santiago?
Some were outraged. Others were cautious.
Venezuelans have secured influence in South Florida, while Puerto Ricans have a growing political footprint in Central Florida. The elephant in the room right now is, what happens if the Puerto Rican community loses what’s been a safe seat and the Venezuelan community gains it instead, especially on the strength of an endorsement from a progressive and highly influential Puerto Rican elected official in Representative Mercado?
“BORICUAS CANNOT ALLOW US TO BE CONVINCED WITH PROMISES THAT CARRY UNCERTAINTY, DO NOT BE FOOLED…VOTE FOR DAISY MORALES TO REPRESENT CENTRAL FLORIDA DISTRICT #48.”
On August 16, he posted, in part: “A very important election [is] approaching for our communities and it is for this reason that we must give our support to those people who we know will represent us in a fair and equitable way.”
Vilchez Santiago, whose platform is viewed as much more progressive compared to his Democratic counterparts Nelson Pena, Tony Tsonis, and Julio Rocha, has raked up endorsements from various unions and PACs, including the Florida NOW PAC (National Organization for Women), Florida Medical Association PAC, Latino Victory and others. But given his momentum, some Puerto Ricans are wondering–both on radio and social media–did Mercado abandon the fight to increase the power of the Puerto Rican voice in the state legislature?
Mercado is running for OCPA as a candidate voters can trust with an aim to restore public trust in the OCPA Office. With her endorsement of Vilchez Santiago, some Puerto Rican voters question whether can they still trust Mercado after yielding her seat to him.
The Democratic primary election takes place Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Whichever candidate wins the primary will face off against Republican Jesus Martinez (also Puerto Rican) in the general election November 3, 2020.
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – The Don Quijote Awards, presented by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and Prospera, is Central Florida’s premier business awards gala with good reason.
The black-tie gala, which celebrates the Hispanic business community by recognizing small business owners as well as business and community leaders who help propel the Hispanic business community forward, filled Epcot’s Showplace Pavilion with well over 1,000 formally dressed attendees for its 25th anniversary Saturday.
The prestigious ceremony recognizes companies and individuals in six categories:
- Hispanic Business of the Year, 5 Years or Less
- Hispanic Business of the Year, Over 5 years
- Professional of the Year
- Excellence Award
- Hispanic Community Champion (this award is given to a non-Hispanic who avidly works to support and strengthen the Hispanic community)
- Lifetime Achievement Award
The 2022 Don Quijote Award Winners
Hispanic Business of the Year, 5 Years or Less: Guacamole Mexican Grill
(center trio, from left to right): Gustavo Aristizabal, Mayessi El Halabi and Diego Rojas, co-founders of Guacamole Mexican Grill, Inc, receive the Don Quijote Award for Hispanic Business of the Year, 5 Years or Less. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.
Hispanic Business of the Year, Over 5 years: SkyBuilders USA
(center duo, left to right): Marcela Restrepo and Juan Velez, co-founders of SkyBuilders USA, LLC, receive the 2022 Don Quijote Award for Hispanic Business of the Year, Over 5 Years. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.
Professional of the Year: Luis Nieves-Ruiz, Economic Development Director, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Luis Nieves-Ruiz, Economic Development Director for East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (center), received the 2022 Don Quijote Professional of the Year Award. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.
Excellence Award: Former State Representative Bob Cortes,
Senior Government Affairs Administrator, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
Former State Representative Bob Cortes, Senior Government Affairs Administrator for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, receives the 2022 Don Quijote Excellence Award. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.
Hispanic Community Champion: Dr. James Michael Burkett, President, Florida Technical College
Dr. James Michael Burkett, President, Florida Technical College (center), receives the 2022 Don Quijote Hispanic Community Champion Award. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Modesto Alcala,
Senior VP of Global Restaurant Development and Placemaking for Universal Creative at Universal Parks & Resorts
Modesto Alcala, Senior VP of Global Restaurant Development and Placemaking for Universal Creative at Universal Parks & Resorts, receives the 2022 Don Quijote Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.
___________________________________________________________
Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com
Latino
Lt. Governor Nominee Karla Hernández’s ‘Latinas for Choice’ Tour Kickoff Lacks Hispanic Women Leaders
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Karla Hernández, Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Florida, held a press conference outside of Orlando City Hall to announce the campaign’s Latinas For Choice tour Wednesday morning.
Hernández was joined by five progressive activists, including Orange County School Board Member Johnna Lopez, State Representative Anna Eskamani and former State Representative District 48 candidate Samuel Vilchez Santiago.
The following Orange County Hispanic women elected leaders did not attend Hernandez’s Latinas for Choice announcement:
- Florida State Representative Daisy Morales
- Orange County District 3 Commissioner Mayra Uribe
- Orange County District 4 Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero
- Orange County District 5 Commissioner Emily Bonilla
- Orange County Property Appraiser Amy Mercado
- Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor Raquel Lozano
While the campaign tour is just launched and in its infancy, the press conference showcased a humble beginning in terms of support for a major support. It appeared that no Spanish-speaking news outlets were present to cover the announcement. Local media outlets WESH 2, WFTV Channel 9 and Florida National News were the outlets present.
Two of the six individuals at the podium being men, and one being a young student. The total number of Latinas, then, was three–if the young lady is included in the count.
However, there may be a reason for that.
New Poll Shows a Different Priority Among Latino Voters
The Palm Beach Post reported findings from a recent poll which showed that 70% of Florida Hispanics oppose making abortion illegal, but it’s not their biggest issue. According to the Post, a large majority of Florida Hispanic voters believe it’s wrong to make abortion illegal, even if it goes against their personal beliefs. Here’s the breakdown of what Hispanic voters in the poll feel are “the most important issues that elected officials should address”:
- Inflation/rising cost of living (53%)
- Crime/gun violence (38%)
- Jobs/economy (36%)
- Healthcare (21%)
- Climate/environment (16%)
Abortion, at 15%, tied with a lack of affordable housing/high rents and Social Security and Medicare.
When asked about this during the press conference, Hernandez assured that Charlie Crist, assuming he’s elected governor in November, would prioritize legislation addressing the top three priorities listed in the poll. Watch the livestream of the full press conference above.
Latino
VIDEO: Morales Campaign Drops Rita Harris’s F-Bomb-Laced Tirade Targeting Bernie Sanders and Progressive Supporters
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – The Daisy Morales campaign released a video over the weekend of opponent Jennifer “Rita” Harris‘s profanity-laced tirade against U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and his progressive supporters on Harris’s Medium blog account.
Harris has deleted the account.
The Morales campaign brought the receipts in this press release, with screenshots from Harris’s Medium blog account and various Facebook posts.
Morales’s campaign pointed out the irony of Harris’s attack on Sen. Bernie Sanders and his supporters and her current backing by the progressive arm of the Democratic Party, United for Progress, Ruth’s List Florida, and other progressive groups.
The Morales campaign slammed Harris in the press release saying “she cannot be trusted, is unfit to serve in public office, and isn’t safe around children younger than 13 years old when it comes to vulgar language, dubbing herself a “part time a**hole” on her Medium blog account (which, by the way, has now been taken down).”
Harris’s Medium post, “Be Gone Bernie Sanders, and Take Your Little Bots Too,” attacks Bernie Sanders and his progressive supporters with a slew of profanities. The campaign warns that viewers will need earbuds to view the video, which is an almost seven-minute voice-to-text read-along of the blog post.
The Morales campaign continued its attack, followed by several screenshots of Harris’s Facebook posts containing F-bombs: “Tallahassee lawmakers are expected to represent the people of our districts and the state of Florida with dignity and respect. Not everything has to be a vulgar attack. Anger must be controlled. And Harris seems to have a lot of it—minus the control.
“Her social media posts are riddled with F-bombs, whether they are friendly or contentious.”
Source: Facebook.
Source: Facebook.
Source: Facebook.
Source: Facebook.
The Morales campaign ended the video drop by saying, “This is the real Jennifer “Rita” Harris.”
The Morales Campaign Triples Down on Harris’s Business Background
Following the video drop, the Morales campaign again highlights Harris’s business background, referring to the Orlando Sentinel’s most recent article with Harris finally opening up about her business background.
The press release says in relevant part:
“If all that wasn’t enough, Harris isn’t forthcoming about her business background. She kept that information from the voters and from the media. Her campaign never listed her business background, and the voters have a right to know. She admitted herself to the Orlando Sentinel in a recent article that she only lists herself as a CEO of her husband’s company, Harris Cloud Consulting, on LinkedIn “for networking purposes.” Why is that deception necessary? There’s nothing wrong with being a housewife promoting your husband’s company on his behalf.
“It turns out Harris Cloud Consulting isn’t the first company she’s been listed as the CEO for. She was the CEO of Kronos Unlimited, LLC, a failed business dissolved by the State. This looks like a pattern. She’s essentially a fake CEO. It’s also interesting that the Orlando Sentinel learned of her deception after they endorsed her.
“If she’s being deceptive here and now, what’s to stop her from doing it in Tallahassee? What else is she being dishonest about? (Besides the work address for one of the companies they registered in Florida using a non-Florida address and zip code.)”
Morales Campaign Also Doubles Down on Lack of Vetting on Harris
“All of this foolishness speaks loudly to the lack of a real background check on the part of the people and organizations endorsing Harris, like the Democratic establishment and high profile Democrats like Charlie Crist, State Attorney Monique Worrell, State Senators Victor Torres and Jason Pizzo, and School Board Member Johanna Lopez, just name a few,” said Rep. Morales in the press release.
“There are Democratic candidates in other Florida races that organizations and elected officials have had to rescind their endorsements from because they failed to do their research. State Rep. Anna Eskamani warned Florida Democrats of that recently concerning the Ag Commissioner race.”
Rep. Morales went on to say that Harris’s titles as Orange County Democratic Party Vice Chair and founder and former President of the Democratic Women’s Club of South Orange County don’t exempt her from a thorough background check, saying that even those running for US President have to undergo rigorous scrutiny. “It seems like in this race, many turned a blind eye to Harris’s history.”
Morales ends the press release by expressed gratitude for “the concerned voters that brought this to my campaign’s attention.”
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