Frank Torres
State Sen. Darren Soto nabbed the endorsement of California U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas Wednesday afternoon, the latest show of support for the man seeking to represent Florida’s 9th Congressional District.
“Darren Soto is a rising star,” Cardenas said. “He has shown true dedication to fixing our immigration system and I look forward to having him as a partner in Congress.”
Soto, grateful for the support, said, “I’m looking forward to working with him to fix our broken immigration system. Our laws should help keep families together, not tear them apart. With your support, I’ll take this fight to Congress and continue pushing for the comprehensive reforms we so urgently need.”
With its heavy Hispanic population, immigration is a major issue in the 9th District. The seat is open after incumbent Alan Grayson decided to run for U.S. Senate.
Soto faces opposition in the high-profile Democratic primary from Susannah Randolph, who is Grayson’s former district director and biochemist Dr. Dena Minning, who has romantic ties to Grayson. Also in the race are former State Rep. Ricardo Rangel, and Valleri Crabtree.
Wayne Liebnitzsky has filed to run on the Republican side.
The 9th District includes parts of Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.
