We made our list and checked it twice, and now Watermark’s endorsements are here.
We covered key national, state and local races as well as a few state constitutional amendments. Be sure to read our interviews with Florida House of Representatives hopeful’s Jennifer Webb in District 69 and Beth Tuura in District 47.
Don’t forget Election Day is Nov. 8 and early voting in Florida runs Oct. 24 – Nov. 6. On to the endorsements.
U.S. PRESIDENT: Hillary Clinton (D)
We needn’t repeat our frequent endorsements of Clinton throughout this election cycle, but please be clear that fomenting a revolution via a protest vote for third-party candidates or, worse, for television nightmare Donald Trump is a huge mistake. We’ll shy away from the “fascism” overstatement that comes with Trump’s leering personage and erratic behavior in both personal and business practices. Clinton’s missteps have been widely vetted, even litigated and paraded through the halls of Congress; Trump’s remain fodder for a caricature that has ceased to amuse, but, arguably, has not ceased to abuse. This is important, folks. We support Clinton.
U.S. SENATOR: Patrick Murphy (D)
Speaking of the political theater of the absurd, Republican incumbent Marco Rubio – who lost his bid for the presidential nomination and quickly steered back to his senatorial safe place – is a menace to this state and this country. With controversies dating back to his credit-card dealings with the Republican Party of Florida and running through his various other foibles and pratfalls, Rubio is not one to be trusted. His campaign and various political action committees may be roasting Democratic candidate Patrick Murphy in every television timeslot available for purchase, but Murphy, a strong defender of human rights and proponent of gun control, is the clear choice for leadership in the Senate.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
District 7: Stephanie Murphy (D)
If it feels like a protest vote, it isn’t. Incumbent for a million years John Mica’s down-the-middle grasp at the conservative Reaganite middle hasn’t aged particularly well, and even as his calls for improvements in transportation and veterans’ affairs hold some sense of center – he’s not a bad guy, mind – Murphy’s approach is fresh and meaningful. Murphy, who, even against the prospect of a loss to the one of Florida’s largest gamers in name recognition, is coming out swinging. It’s a hard fight for the Mica camp, which has seen a narrowing in margins of polling, given that his political purse is generally populated by those not paying attention. Murphy has worked her way to this position through her work as a federally appointed position in the office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and is no small-time player. She’s a policy wonk, a friend to veterans and a liberal Democrat who sees the forest for the trees. She’s paying attention to what happens right now, including gun-control reform. We support her wholeheartedly
District 8: Corry Westbrook (D)
District 9: Darren Soto (D)
District 10: Val Demings (D)
Former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings has taken her punches, and some of them are frustrating (dropping out of the mayoral race in Orange County key among them). Demings was one of the most successful police chiefs of Orlando that the city has ever seen, especially in terms of equality issues. Yes, there were issues with her dropping her mayoral candidacy a couple years back and her loss for congress just before, but Demings is one to dust herself off and get back up again. We’ve spoke with her in the interim – moreover, we’ve watched her speak a room into a firestorm – and are proud to endorse somebody who has done so much for the region she seeks to represent. Her opponent Thuy Lowe is playing her Trump cards and badmouthing Obamacare. We’ll keep our decks close to our chest. Except here. See? We are endorsing Demings.
District 11: Dave Koller (D)
He may be an outlier, but Dave Koller is certainly better than the nearly invisible Republican Dan Webster, who, when he does make an appearance, sucks the air out of the room and any progressive potential therein. Also, they love him in the Villages.
District 12: Robert Tager (D
District 13: Charlie Crist (D)
Oh, we could go on and on and on about this one. Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist lost his Democratic-reboot exercise to Gov. Rick Scott just two years ago. Eyes rolled, fingers pointed and Crist seemed to be a bag dancing in the wind just for you. In this race, though, Crist is heading for congress, taking out two-year incumbent David Jolly, who won in a special election in the wake of the death of his predecessor Bill Young. All polls point to this being a safe seat for Crist and Democrats in general. Also, he’s not such a bad guy, even if he used to be Republican.
District 14: Kathy Castor (D)
District 15: Jim Lange (D)
Though he may stand little chance of toppling Republican incumbent Dennis Ross, Lange is solid in his stances on public education, women’s rights and healthcare reform. Ross, however, has walked the conservative obstructionist line, including initial support of the government shutdown.
District 16: Jan Schneider (D)
STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
District 42: Benny Valentin (D)
District 47: Beth Tuura (D)
District 48: Amy Mercado (D)
District 49: Carlos Guillermo Smith (D)
Though this may be a race that has already been decided – Shea Silverman is running without a party or a platform that we can divine – it’s worth noting how present Smith is in all things LGBT throughout the Orlando community. His acute and on-point reading of the issues of the day are part of what makes Orlando such a wonderful place in which to reside. Smith has worked his way up from legislative aide to community leader; his words are sharp, shined and always correct. Smith is the best bet for this seat and any seat he seeks thereafter.
District 50: Sean Ashby (D)
District 58: Jose Vazquez Figueroa (D)
District 59: Rena Frazier (D)
Clearly, Frazier’s opponent Ross Spano is falling in line with all of the sprawl and environmental exploitation that Florida Republicans are so willing to embrace. Thought the district is clearly Republican, the state is not, really, even when entities like the Florida Retail Federation are basically writing the rules and regulations. It’s time for a change.
District 60: David Singer (D)
District 63: Lisa Montelione (D)
Montelione served on Tampa’s city council, vacating her seat to run for state house. She supports the legalization of medical marijuana, is critical of standardized testing in public schools and does not like prison privatization.
District 65: Bernard Festerwald (D)
District 66: Lorena Grizzle (D)
Grizzle is a proponent of increased public-education spending, living wages and is very concerned about climate change and its effect on sea-level rise on the Gulf Coast beaches.
District 67: David Vogel (D)
Wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing Republican Chris Latvala is a down-the-ballot chambercrat, though he has walked the fair line on issues involving discrimination. Latvala has also spoken out in support of guns on campus, while Vogel suggests that guns shouldn’t be around kids and their hormones. You be the judge.
District 68: Ben Diamond (D)
District 69: Jennifer Webb (D)
District 70: Wengay Newton (D)
District 72: Edward James III (D)
District 73: James Golden (D)
District 74: Manny Lopez (D)
His opponent, Julio Gonzalez, is playing the small-business-repeal-Obamacare card and creeping into the budget talk that can only make for a conservative crunch. Let’s give Lopez a go.
STATE SENATE:
District 11: Randolph Bracy (D)
District 12: Elizabeth McNutt (Write-In)
Oh, please. Challenger and incumbent Dennis Baxley is an imbecile who, as a funeral director, has assisted in the building of Stand Your Ground laws in Florida while always waiting in the wings for serial gay bashing. He doesn’t like us. McNutt, however, doesn’t have a record yet on this issue, so she gets our vote for now. Baxley has been widely noted as being to the right of Rick Scott on social issues. On this flat earth, that could mean we all fall off.
District 13: Linda Stewart (D)
Though she may have lost to Mike Miller (see above) a couple of years ago, Stewart remains a stalwart among LGBT supporters and environmentalists alike. Why? Because she gives a damn in her trademark accent. It’s rare that you meet a public servant who is willing to make fun of his or herself, but with Stewart you get wigs and bikes and a full and serious docket of progressive policies. We’d never vote against her; nor should you.
District 15: Victor Torres (D)
District 16: Jack Latvala (R)
This one is tough, as write-in candidate Katherine Perkins has been remiss in even turning in her documents this elections season, much less making some progressive noise that might challenge her seasoned competitor. Her Republican opponent Jack Latvala has made some productive mentions of workplace fairness, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
District 18: Bob Buesing (D)
District 19: John “Mr. Manners” Houman (R)
Though few know too much about Republican John Houman – he uses “Mr. Manners” as a nickname, because it sounds “polite,” reports say – his Democratic opponent Darryl Rouson has already been termed out of the house and has a history of controversy riding behind him.
District 22: Debra Wright (D)
District 23: Frank Alcock III (D)
ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSION
District 1: Bobby Olzewski
District 5: Emily Bonilla
FLORIDA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Amendment 1: Utility companies and solar regulation: NO
Amendment 2: Use of marijuana for debilitating medical conditions: YES
Amendment 3: Tax exemption for totally and permanently disabled first responders: YES
Amendment 5: Homestead tax exemption for certain senior, low-income, long-term residents; determination of just value: YES
