ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District (OSWCD) Supervisor Daisy Morales (D) says she’s considering a run for State Representative Amy Mercado‘s District 48 seat. The seat is considered a safe district for Democrats with a large Hispanic population. Mercado (D-Orlando) recently filed paperwork to run against incumbent Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh (D) in the 2020 primary election.
Source: Facebook
House District 48 covers central northern Orange County, including large Hispanic communities, from Aazalea Park to Meadow Woods.
“Representative Mercado has done a great job representing the residents in House District 48 in Tallahassee,” Morales recently told Florida National News. “If I decide to run, I will seek to expand upon the representative’s work as we move the district and state beyond COVID-19 pandemic.”
Morales shared with Florida National News that if she runs, her platform will include:
Advocating for small businesses and workers’ rights
Healthcare
Environment
Florida agriculture and helping farmers succeed
Protecting Florida’s most vulnerable populations, especially seniors and the special needs community
Running for public office during a pandemic will be an uphill battle, especially for candidates without serious name recognition and a lack of direct engagement with the voters. Knocking on a resident’s door wearing a mask and other personal protective equipment may not be the best or safe campaign strategy to win over voters.
House District 48 had approximately 25 precincts open to the voters in 2018. Morales and Amy Mercado both defeated their opponents in each precinct by a landslide, according to Orange County Supervisor of Elections’ records. Morales and Mercado got no less than (54.37%) 55% of the votes in any precinct.
Both women nabbed a minimum of 55% (Daisy Morales in her re-election for Orange Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor) and 60% (Amy Mercado in her re-election for State Representative) in their respective elections in District 48 in 2018. Election data taken from the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website.
“As an elected official, I made it a priority to actively participate in numerous public and private events to support our residents on local and state issues that matter to them,” Morales noted. “I will continue to listen to elected officials, community leaders, residents and my family regarding the next step.”
Supervisor Morales is currently serving a second four-year term on the Soil & Water Board after winning re-election in 2018 with 256,000 votes against her opponent by a supermajority of Orange County votes. She was first elected in 2014 by defeating three opponents in a four-candidate countywide race.
Two other candidates filed to run for House District 48: Anthony Tsonis and Nelson Pena, both Democrats.
The ballot qualifying deadline is June 12, and the primary election happens August 18. No Republican challengers have filed at this point.
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.
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:
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.