Kelly Hayes
Senate District 18 Democratic nominee Eunic Ortiz vows to “stand up to corporations” in the first ad from her affiliated political committee, Together United For Florida.
The 30-second ad, titled “Inside,” will be run digitally. The clip is narrated by Ortiz, who lays out her legislative priorities involving gun violence, cost of living and abortion rights.
“Here in Pinellas County, we know we live in paradise. But inside our homes and apartments, sometimes it’s a different story,” she starts. Clips then play of different families and individuals facing the challenges she outlines.
“The stress caused by political and corporate greed is tearing our lives apart,” she continues. “The skyrocketing cost of living, intrusion into our personal lives and simply not knowing if our kids will get home safely.”
She concludes the ad by introducing herself as an educator, organizer and political outsider, who is “ready to bring home solutions.”
“I’ll stand up to corporations and show up for you,” she says.
Ortiz is running for Senate District 18, which covers a large portion of Pinellas County including parts of Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo, Pinellas Park, Gulfport and most of the county’s coastline.
Ortiz faces Republican Rep. Nick DiCeglie. DiCeglie was first elected in House District 66 in 2018. He was re-elected in 2020. Both hope to take the seat currently held by Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes, who is leaving office due to term limits.
The seat has a slight red lean. In 2020, 47% of voters in the district supported Democratic President Joe Biden, while 52% went to former Republican President Donald Trump.
In addition to the slight voter advantage, DiCeglie also has a hefty war chest.
According to the latest campaign finance reports released at the start of September, DiCeglie boasts $561,717 in available spending money, while Ortiz has $154,690 cash on hand, between their respective campaigns and affiliated political committees.
