Scott Powers
Democrat Susannah Randolph may have picked up her biggest local endorsement yet Monday with the news that former Orange County Chairwoman Linda Chapin is backing her for the Orlando-based Congressional District 9.
Chapin is a long-time figure in Orlando Democratic politics, an activist first elected to the Orange County Board of Commissioners in the 1980s. In 1990, after Orange County was chartered to have a strong chairman position, she was the first executive chair of Orange County [a position that later was renamed “mayor.”]
Today she serves on multiple community boards and is the chairwoman of the Orlando Health Board of Directors. Chapin is known as a power-player in Orlando with deep involvement in civic and social policies, women’s health, and the environment.
Randolph, a Democratic activist and operative, is facing state Sen. Darren Soto of Orlando, businesswoman Valleri Crabtree of Kissimmee, Dr. Dena Minning of Orlando among others for the Democratic nomination for CD 9. They all hope to succeed Randolph’s former boss and Minning’s fiancé, Democrat U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando, who is running for the U.S. Senate rather than for re-election.
“For years Susannah has been a tireless defender and passionate advocate of women’s rights in Central Florida,” Chapin stated in a news release issued by Randolph’s campaign. “In the continued fight to close the gender wage gap and shatter the glass ceiling, there is no one better to lead the charge in Washington than Susannah.”
“Mayor Chapin has dedicated her life to being a strong leader and a mentor to the women of Central Florida,” Randolph stated. “I hope to bring the same kind of passion and perseverance to Congress that she has inspired in our community.”
