Carlos Guillermo Smith announces his run for Florida Senate District 17 from the steps of Orlando City Hall in April 2023. (Photo credit Jeremy Williams)
ORLANDO | Former Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith will now represent the state’s 17th District in the Florida Senate as he was the only candidate to qualify for this election cycle following the June 14 deadline.
Running unopposed, Guillermo Smith will succeed the term-limited Florida Sen. Linda Stewart, who is now running for Orange County Commission District 3.
“My heart is full of gratitude for this community who has entrusted me with the responsibility of serving as their state senator,” Guillermo Smith said in a press release. “Since last year, our campaign has knocked on over 10,000 doors in Senate District 17. We know that voters are frustrated with the direction our state has been heading, and they’ve had enough. Rents and property insurance premiums are soaring, over a million Floridians have recently lost health care, and Tallahassee has turned our classrooms into political battlefields.
Guillermo Smith goes on to express his love for his Orlando community in the statement, adding that he promises to “defend our values, to put people over politics, and to inspire hope for a better, brighter future for our state.”
“A future where families aren’t forced out of their homes or out onto the streets due to soaring rents and property insurance rates; where teachers can earn a living salary; where every student is protected and every family is respected; where people living with disabilities get the services they deserve to live and work in their communities; where families can live safe from gun violence; where Floridians can love who they want to love or be their authentic selves without harassment and intimidation; and where Floridians have the freedom to make private medical decisions without political interference,” he said. “That’s the Florida we deserve and that we are fighting for.”
Guillermo Smith was the first openly gay Latinx LGBTQ+ member of the Florida House when he was elected back in 2016. He will now become the first Latinx LGBTQ+ member of the Florida Senate and the second gay man sent to the Senate following Florida Sen. Shevrin Jones of Miami.
“We’re thrilled that voters are sending Carlos back to Tallahassee to continue the fight in the Florida Legislature. Carlos is an unflinching progressive and one of the governor’s sharpest critics. He consistently exposes the governor’s lies, hypocrisy, and agenda to strip away our rights and freedoms. When the governor hid public information from voters, Carlos took him to court and won. Carlos is on the front lines, working to ensure the safety and well-being of all Floridians,” said Stratton Pollitzer, Chair of Equality Florida Action PAC, in a statement. “This victory is a testament to the support and respect Carlos has from the voters in this district. He arrives in the Florida Senate as a champion of the people, unopposed. Congratulations, State Senator-elect!”
Guillermo Smith announced his run for Florida Senate District 17 from the steps of Orlando City Hall in April 2023 surrounded by about 100 friends, family and supporters. He was joined by several elected officials including Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, state Sen. Victor Torres and state Rep. Anna V. Eskamani. The 43-year-old Democrat represented Florida House District 49 from 2016-2022.
“Orlando deserves representation in the Florida Senate that truly reflects our values,” said Guillermo Smith in his statement. “Someone people know and trust who will stand up for hard-working Floridians, who will work to solve real problems, and who will defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of all. The Orlando community sent a very clear message with their enthusiastic support and participation in this people-powered campaign– they reject the transactional politics that put profits over people time and time again; they want Tallahassee to solve problems rather than create them; and they want a champion who will stand up to extreme politicians and hold them accountable.”
Sen.-elect Guillermo Smith will begin serving District 17 in 2025.
