Gabrielle Russon
Sen. Linda Stewart picked up a pair of endorsements from her former opponents who had been running against her for the Orange County Board of Commissioners.
Stewart is challenging incumbent Commissioner Mayra Uribe for District 3.
Neither Uribe nor Stewart got at least 50% of the vote in the August Primary, so the two are headed for a runoff in November. Uribe, who was first elected in 2018, received about 45% of the vote versus Stewart’s 35%.
Also running for District 3 was Delila Smalley who withdrew from the race and Gus Martinez who received about 21% of the vote in the Primary. (Nelson Betancourt, who did not raise any money, also ran but then withdrew.)
Now Smalley and Martinez said they are backing Stewart, according to a press release from Stewart’s campaign.
“Linda Stewart is known as our Parks and Recreation Commissioner. I support a leader who is ready to put in the work to improve our community for everyone,” Smalley said in a statement.
The press release misspelled Smalley’s first and last name.
“Both Gus and (Delila) will be active members of Linda Stewart’s campaign team, and with their help will bring victory to the office. They are joined by over 20 organizations who have endorsed Stewart’s candidacy and a couple dozen elected officials,” the press release said.
Some of Stewart’s key endorsements include the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association.
“It was an honor and I am very humbled to get this endorsement. We all want what is best for our community and I know that my experience, success and honesty is needed at the board table,” Stewart said in the press release.
Her statement was originally incorrectly attributed to Martinez in the press release.
Orange County government’s District 3 covers parts of southern and eastern Orlando, stretching to the Orlando International Airport and the Valencia College’s campus.
