Scott Powers
U.S. Rep. Darren Soto‘s re-election campaign announced 20 endorsements from local elected officials in his battle with former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson for the Democratic primary in Florida’s 9th Congressional District.
The endorsements came from state Sen. Victor Torres; state Reps. John Cortes, Amy Mercado, Carlos Guillermo Smith and Kamia Brown; Kissimmee Mayor José Alvarez; Lake Wales Mayor Eugene Fultz; Osceola Sheriff Russell Gibson; Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla; Osceola County Commissioners Brandon Arrington and Cheryl Grieb; Orlando City Commissioner Sam Ings; Kissimmee City Commissioner Angela Eady; Haines City Commissioners Morris West and Horace West; Winter Haven City Commissioner Nat Birdsong; Lake Wales City Commissioners Curtis Gibson and Tonya Stewart; Osceola School Board Member Kelvin Soto; and Orange Soil and Water Conservation Board Chairman Eric Rollings.
Soto’s campaign noted that they join the previous endorsements by every Democratic member of Florida’s congressional delegation, announced earlier.
CD 9 covers Osceola County, south Orange County, and East Polk County.
“I have known Congressman Darren Soto since his first run for office during a special election for a House seat. As a matter of fact, my grandchildren were volunteers in that first campaign. We’ve worked together since, for our respective communities in central Florida. I have children and grandchildren living here. It is important to me to have good, honorable role models for them, like Congressman Darren Soto,” Torres stated in a news release from Soto’s campaign.
“No one has worked harder for union members, students, seniors and now all the climate evacuees that have blessed central Florida with their arrival than Congressman Darren Soto. As a retired police officer and former marine myself, l can tell you that Darren vehemently supports veterans and first responders. Darren lives and works in central Florida, and when he is not in Washington, DC fighting for us he is in his district standing with us!
“Darren gets it!”
