Drew Wilson
A second Republican filed for the House District 27 seat being vacated by Republican Rep. David Santiago, who is running for Congress.
Central Florida businessman and consumer rights advocate William McBride filed for the southern Volusia County district on Tuesday, joining fellow Republican Zenaida Denizac and a pair of no-party candidates in the race.
“Floridians deserve continued economic prosperity which can only come when government gets out of the way, reduces regulations and keeps taxes low,” McBride in a press release. “I’m a fighter and a straight shooter. I’ve built a company from the ground up, managed budgets and met a payroll. Our children and grandchildren must have even greater opportunities than we have had and that means keeping big government out of our churches, our wallets and our homes.”
The Florida State University alumnus said he was motivated to get into public service based on the example his parents set for him during his childhood. The son of a preacher and immigrant, McBride said he would “continue to keep conservative values in state government.”
McBride also announced he would kick off his run for office with a $250,000 campaign account. That opening balance puts the Pepperdine law school graduate well ahead of the competition – through two months in the race, Denizac has about $2,300 on hand.
HD 27 should remain safely in GOP hands despite Democrats holding a slight advantage in voter registrations. In the last two election cycles, Santiago was able to beat his Democratic challengers by more than 10 points on Election Day.
