Drew Wilson
Americans for Prosperity Action-Florida has announced another set of endorsements in state legislative races.
The new crop of candidates includes Republicans Alexis Calatayud in Senate District 38, Rep. Robert Andrade in House District 2, Eugene Stokes in House District 16, and Vienna Francois in House District 45.
Calatayud is the immediate past director of public policy and programs at the Florida Department of Education and is the lone Republican running for SD 38. She will face Democrat Janelle Perez in November.
Andrade, who has served in the House since 2018 and is running for another term in the new HD 2. He faces Jordan Karr and Greg Litton in the Aug. 23 Primary, with Democrat Carollyn Taylor set to face the GOP nominee in November.
Stokes, meanwhile, is one of three Republicans running in a closed Primary. His opposition includes former Rep. Lake Ray and Kiyan Michael. Since the other two candidates in the race signed up as write-ins, the winner of the Primary contest is nearly certain to be sworn in after the General Election.
Finally, Francois is among five Republicans in a competitive Primary for Central Florida’s HD 45. She faces Carolina Amesty, Janet Frevola, Bruno Portigliatti and Mike Zhao in August. The eventual nominee will go head-to-head against Democrat Allie Braswell in November. The new HD 45 is seen as a swing district where Democrats may hold a slight advantage.
“What happens in the state Legislature is critical to the lives of Floridians. That’s why AFP Action supports candidates who will support policies that provide children a quality education, create a strong state economy that helps businesses grow and create good-paying jobs, and increase access to high-quality health care,” said AFP Action-Florida Senior Adviser Skylar Zander.
“These and other endorsed candidates are critical to our state’s future, and we’ll be working hard to help them achieve victory in November.”
AFP Action’s corps of volunteers will be knocking on doors and phone banking for the endorsed candidates in the lead-up to the Primary Election. The organization also regularly prints direct mail ads in support of its endorsed candidates.
