Orlando

Rep. Daisy Morales Endorsed by 4 Current and Former State Lawmakers in HD 44 Race

Published

4 years ago

June 3, 2022

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – On Thursday, Representative Daisy Morales’s re-election campaign for State Representative announced strong support from five diverse leaders joining Florida’s only Puerto Rican member of Congress, Congressman Darren Soto in endorsing her for Florida House District 44.

Rep. Morales, the highest ranking elected Puerto Rican woman in Florida, currently represents District 48 in the Florida House. She’s running in the newly redrawn District 44, which also has a large Puerto Rican population.

Morales’s Endorsements

Morales was endorsed by one Ocoee City Commissioner, along with current and former state lawmakers.

According to Morales’ press release, her endorsers include:

State Representative Susan Valdés (D-Tampa)
State Representative Kristen Arrington (D-Kissimmee)
Former state representative and Democratic deputy whip John Cortes (D-Kissimmee)
Former state representative Bruce Antone (D-Orlando)
Ocoee District 4 Commissioner George Oliver, III (Democrat)

The four lawmakers shared Morales common passions of education and family. Cortes served on the Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee, which Rep. Valdés is currently the ranking Democratic member for. Antone served as the Democratic Ranking Member on the Education Committee, and both Reps. Arrington and Valdés serve with Morales on the Education & Employment Committee.

“[Rep.] Morales is deeply rooted in the community,” said Cortes. “She’s a strong advocate for those who can’t speak for themselves, which is exactly what we need in Tallahassee.”

Diversity Matters

Antone and Commissioner Oliver’s passion and activism have left a massive imprint on the African American community. Antone is the former chairman of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, which serves as a voice for African American communities across Florida, and Commissioner Oliver made history as Ocoee’s first-ever African American commissioner elected to the City Council. Oliver’s been making history in Ocoee ever since.

“These leaders share my vision of working across the aisle and using common sense solutions to get results for all Florida families. I’m proud to have their endorsements and look forward to serving a second term in the Florida House,” said Morales. “I’m ready to serve the people of District 44.”

Primary Challenger

Morales will face Democratic challenger Jennifer Rita Harris in the August 2022 primary election. In 2020, Morales easily defeated four Democratic primary challengers, including two who received more donations and endorsements than she did in their bid to win the Florida House District 48 nomination. She also defeated her republican opponent to win the general election by a landslide or 65% of the total votes.

Former State Representative and then incumbent Amy Mercado had endorsed Morales’s 2020 primary challenger, Samuel Vilchez Santiago. The youngest candidate in the race was acclaimed by the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Politics as a rising star, but that didn’t matter. Morales still defeated him in the primary. Mercado, the current Orange County Property Appraiser, has joined her father, State Sen. Victor Torres, in endorsing Morales’s new challenger, Harris.

No Republican is currently running in the District 44 race.

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

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.

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

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.