Ryan Nicol
Anthony Rodriguez, a Kendall business owner and Republican candidate for House District 118, has earned the support of several current House members as he tries to oust sitting Rep. Robert Asencio.
The Republican Delegation of Central Florida announced its support of Rodriguez, running unopposed in the HD 118 GOP primary.
The group is made up of state Reps. Bob Cortes, Scott Plakon, David Santiago, Danny Burgess, Jason Brodeur, Bobby Olszewski, Rene Plasencia, Mike LaRosa and Jennifer Sullivan.
Multiple members of the delegation also released statements on why they felt the need to weigh in the South Florida contest.
Cortes said, “As a family man and small business owner, he has the knowledge, energy and values necessary to effectively represent district 118 in Tallahassee.”
Plakon added: “Anthony is a lifelong Floridian who is not afraid to take on tough issues and understands the value of hard work.”
HD 118 covers sections of Miami-Dade County including parts of Kendall and Tamiami. Asencio is also unopposed in the Democratic primary, meaning he will face off against Rodriguez in November.
Of the Republican Delegation of Central Florida, Rodriguez said their “leadership has moved Florida forward and I can’t wait to join them in order to work on the issues that matter most to my district. I’m excited to have them on our team.”
The race could go either way. Asencio was able to barely squeak out a victory back in 2016, defeating his Republican opponent, David Rivera, 50.04 percent to 49.96 percent.
