La Gaceta Newspaper

U.S. Senate
Democrat
Alex Vindman gets our endorsement over Angie Nixon.
Nixon is a state representative, union organizer, well qualified and offers to fight for lower costs, higher wages and to wrestle control of our government out of the hands of the uber rich and give it back to the people.
Vindman offers much of the same as Nixon, but Vindman has a better chance at defeating U.S. Senator Ashley Moody.
Lieutenant Colonel Vindman gained a national following when in 2019 he reported on and testified about a phone call between President Donald Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when Trump pressured for the Ukrainians to investigate Joe Biden in exchange for U.S. military assistance.
That fame led to a huge amount of small-dollar donations nationally. It will take money to unseat Moody. Vindman is qualified, has experience in foreign affairs and national security, and wants to get government working for us and not Trump Inc and his fellow robber barons.

Congress, District 12
Democrat
We like both of these candidates. Kimberly Overman is a former county commissioner and a certified financial planner who fought hard for affordable housing and expanded healthcare access. She fought against human trafficking and special interests manipulating government.
Darren McAuley is a doctor, a Colonel in the Air National Guard, served as State Air Surgeon for Florida and is the leading expert on osteopathic practices at the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine. He’s been in the military for 25 years and served in six deployments. He’s mad about the gutting of Medicaid and cutting healthcare to thousands here in Florida, the weakening of FEMA, the attacks on voting rights, and tariffs, which are fueling inflation and are a tax on working families.
McAuley has been a stronger fundraiser and his military service will help him wrestle veterans away from voting for the incumbent, Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis.
We endorse McAuley, believing he has a better chance of winning the general election.
District 15
Democrat
Two military men, Christopher Irizarry and Robert People, are vying for a chance to challenge Republican Congresswoman Laurel Lee. People joined the Army at 18 and served 21 years, having two combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He retired in 2018.
Irizarry served eight years in the Army and 16 years in the CIA. Both candidates are supporters of expanding healthcare, stronger public schools, unions, protecting our environment and reducing runaway costs of everything.
We endorse both candidates. The winner doesn’t really have a chance against Congresswoman Lee, as the district has been redrawn to make it almost impossible for a Democrat to win.

U.S. Senate and Congress District 14-Republican
All the major candidates will echo whatever Trump says. They will let him steal power away from the legislative and judicial branches. They will turn their heads while he and his hench men steal tax dollars.
We can’t endorse any of them.

Governor
Democrat
There are six candidates, but only one has a chance to bring the fight to the likely Republican nominee Byron Donalds.
That person is David Jolly and his running mate for lieutenant governor, Gwen Graham, and we wholeheartedly endorse the team.
Jolly is smart, even tempered, middle of the road and understands how government should work. Graham has the same qualities, and both served in Congress.
Our current governor sold us out to big insurance. Jolly wants to restore the balance by creating a catastrophic fund to reduce costs and make insurance pay their claims. He wants to help condominium associations with no-interest, state-backed loans so they can fix old buildings that suffer from years of neglected maintenance.
He wants to rein in school vouchers and invest in public schools. Under Jolly, climate change will be addressed in policies from resiliency to energy to transportation. He also wants to end the culture war which seems to occupy most of our state government’s time and energy.
Republican
The Republicans are favoring their DEI candidate Byron Donalds. He’s their minority and a complete Trump devotee. We think he’s completely unqualified. We endorse Donalds, believing he’ll be an easier target for Democrat David Jolly.

Chief Financial Officer
Democrat
Earle Ford is an army airborne infantry veteran, a former assistant state attorney and a federal investigator for the Internal Revenue Service. His background fits the job and he wants to provide spending oversight, government accountability and property insurance reform.
Annette Tadeo has served in the Florida State Senate, ran a small business and unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor as Charlie Crist’s running mate. She was born in Colombia. She also wants to reduce property insurance costs and be an independent watchdog of taxpayer dollars. We haven’t had a watchdog in that office for quite some time, which is why we wasted millions on Alligator Alcatraz, saw the governor steal Medicaid money to fund political campaigns and overpay for beach property, and give away state lands.
We will support Earle Ford, as he has a better resume for the job.
Republican
Blaise Ingoglia is the incumbent, having been appointed by Governor Ronald DeSantis. He has ignored his responsibility of being a watchdog of tax dollars. He has refused to look into the huge amount of waste caused by the governor – Alligator Alcatraz, spending on the governor’s personal state guard, no-bid contracts, land giveaways and the theft of Medicaid dollars for non-political campaigns.
We endorse Frank W. Collige. He is a business owner, served in the Air Force, has a great beard and promises financial transparency and accountability. Ingoglia promises to be the next governor’s puppet, and not the good kind with strings.

Commissioner of Agriculture
Democrat
Joey Mendoza Atkins and Donald A. “Don” Prichard are competing in hopes of taking on incumbent Wilton Simpson, who is most likely to win the Republican primary.
Neither Mendoza Atkins nor Prichard seemed to be running much of a campaign. Mendoza Atkins is an attorney, a former sports agent and is currently with the Barnes Trial Group in Miami.
Prichard is a captain with the Pembroke Park Police Department in South Florida. He previously served with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office for 24 years. He also served with the Florida Army National Guard. We can’t find enough information on either one to make an endorsement. Neither one seems to be campaigning. Either one would face a tough battle in trying to defeat Simpson.
Republican
Matt Taylor is challenging Wilton Simpson, the incumbent.
Taylor goes by “Matt the Welder” and is a somewhat comical political figure. At one time, he posted nude photos of himself on the web and got mad that the issue has come up now that he’s running for office. He said it wasn’t porn because he wasn’t paid.
Our choice is Wilton Simpson. He is the class act on the top of the Republican ticket for cabinet. He understands agriculture, having been in the egg business. He is reasonable and has a soft spot in his heart for foster children. We are disappointed in his votes on the cabinet. He voted in solidarity with the governor on some bad deals. We hope he is a more independent voice on the cabinet in the future.

State Senate
District 16
Universal primary
This race pits State Representative Fentrice Driskell against State Representative Michele Rayner. Both are Democrats
Rayner was first elected as state representative in 2020. She is an attorney focused on civil rights and promotes that she was the first openly queer Black member of the Florida Legislature. She has attracted progressive elements of the party to support her.
Driskell won her first race for state representative in 2018. She is also an attorney who works for Carlton Fields in business litigation. She attended Harvard University and finished law school at Georgetown University.
Driskell and Rayner are native Floridians. Driskell made history as the first Black woman elected as House Democratic Leader. She has lots of support from current and former Democratic officials.
The public can’t go wrong with either candidate but we will endorse Fentrice Driskell.
Democrats hold a minority position in the House and Senate and are mostly on the sidelines of governing. We expect the few Democrats in the Legislature to focus on improving the Democrat brand with voters and organizing elected Democrats to speak with a more unified voice. They need a more populous agenda to try to box in Republicans and show the true nature of the many harmful bills that pass both chambers.
Rayner had a very safe seat while Driskell had to win a State House seat that was competitive. We believe having to appeal to independent voters as Driskell did was better training for the difficult job ahead of helping position Democrats to win more seats and improve the party’s approval with voters.

State Representative
District 62
Universal primary
Both candidates are Democrats
Wengay “Newt” Newton has experience as a state representative and a St. Petersburg city councilman. He prides himself on being able to reach across the aisle to bring home some wins for his district in a Republican-dominated house.
Kyandra Darling worked for Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist and later as an aide to St. Petersburg council members Steve Kornell and Lisa Wheeler-Bowman. She worked for nonprofits and helped with Kamala Harris’ campaign in the Bay Area. Darling wants to focus on affordability, access to healthcare and addiction treatment. We find her a great addition to the Democratic bench and with the skill set will help expand the party’s appeal to independents.
We endorse Kyandra Darling for State House.
District 63
Universal primary
All three candidates are Democrats
Jacqueline Coffie-Leeks is the executive director of Sulphur Springs Neighborhood of Promise Initiative and Pastor of Outreach at 34th Street Church of God. She is heavily involved in the community and an advocate for the poor and underserved.
Robin Lockett is also an advocate and community leader and is the Regional Director of Florida Rising Tampa Bay. She knows the district and has fought for affordable housing.
Conrad Schupay’s family settled here after his father retired from the Air Force. He attended local schools in the district and eventually was accepted to and graduated West Point. He served in the military for 24 years in the Army and Florida Army National Guard and had two deployments to Afghanistan.
He worked for the City of Tampa and the financial industry.
We like all three candidates. They are supportive of increasing healthcare access, affordability and focusing Florida’s government on what working people need and not the culture war currently being fought. We endorse all three, as we believe any one of them would be a fine addition to the State Legislature.
District 64
Democrat
We did not interview any of the candidates in this race, as we know each and are familiar with their histories.
John Rodriguez knows the legislative process and could start to be productive on day one. He served as aide to several state legislators who served the district. He worked in St. Petersburg city government for mayor Rick Kriseman. He now works at the property appraiser’s office. We find Rodriguez to be knowledgeable and passionate about public service.
Mike Suarez served on City council. He has roots here and knows the district. We were unhappy with some of Suarez’ City Council votes and found him to be uninterested in opposing views. We are also concerned that his largest donor is the insurance industry.
Luis Salazar is our pick. He is young, energetic and has the most passion for serving in Tallahassee. He is a great addition to the Democratic slate and has helped get other Democrats elected with grassroots work. Salazar served in the Navy. He is a community activist and a social media marketer. He listens, learns fast and can help build the Democratic Party. His agenda is to rein in big insurance, utilities and expand affordable housing. He is bilingual, which is also a plus.
Republican
There are three names on the ballot, Amaro Lionheart, Angel Ramos and Dan Weldon. Lionheart has withdrawn from the race, so a vote for him will not count.
Angel Ramos was born in Puerto Rico and made the move to Tampa much later in life. He’s had a varied work history, ranging from programmer, marketing strategist, entertainment and private investigation. His positions show that he wants to protect students from indoctrination at public schools that is not happening. He supports removing vaccine mandates for children.
Dan Weldon is a former prosecutor and currently a litigation lawyer. He played for the UF football team and was statewide chair of the College Republicans of Florida.
He wrote to the Tampa Bay Times, “The cost of having and raising children is at an all-time high. Job opportunities for young people are some of the worst they’ve ever been … our future is being left behind.”
It’s a pretty bleak viewpoint for a conservative activist considering his party controls the Federal and State governments. Trump says, under his regime, that America is great – it’s thriving.
We endorse Weldon in this race. He seems to be more informed and probably less conservative than he thinks he is.

County Commission
District 3
Democrat
Incumbent County Commissioner Gwen Myers is being challenged by Twanda Bradley. Bradley retired from the IT industry after 30 years and is focused on property investment and management. She also has a nonprofit which provides food and supports the community. She is pleasant, positive and listens.
Myers is become an effective commissioner for her district since 2020 and is a strong advocate for the district’s needs. Myers is independent of special interests and is also involved in the community. Her background is in county government. She knows the system and delivers county investment in poor and underserved areas of our county.
We endorse Gwen Myers for re-election to the Commission
District 5
Republican
Stacy Hahn is a School Board member trying to graduate to County Commission. She’s never impressed us on the School Board. She refused to hold the superintendent and other top staffers accountable for accepting a gift, a trip to Augusta National , from a vendor. She is pushing for tax cuts but has accepted in her PAC a $5,000 contribution from Ken Babby so she is happy to write a big tax dollar check to the Tampa Bay Rays. While on the School Board, she was paid to lure public school students to go to charter and private schools, which undermines our public schools.
Incumbent County Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda opposed the Rays deal, especially using CIT dollars, which is a plus in our eyes.
She is for using limited tax dollars to improve roads and other critical infrastructure. She is consistent in that voting.
We endorse Cepeda in the Republican primary.
District 7
Democrat
Democrats have two good choices, Aileen Rodriguez and Cindy Stuart. Stuart has a lot of experience governing. She was a School Board member for eight years and then ran to replace the retiring Pat Frank for Clerk of the Circuit Court. She won that seat. After one term, she was defeated by Republican Victor Crist. Stuart knows how the county works and can be productive starting on day one.
Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Hillsborough County on a dairy farm. She got her first taste of politics as a regional director for U.S. Senator Mel Martinez. She stopped being a registered Republican in 2019 because that party did not reflect her values. She has her own public relations company and has worked for a wide range of well-known companies, governments and nonprofits in the area.
She is excited about public service, a good listener and a quick learner.
In talking to both about the potential Rays deal, both leaned to supporting it, but Rodriguez was interested in learning more, both pro and con.
It’s a close call but we will endorse Aileen Rodriguez for her enthusiasm and willingness to hear both sides of an issue.

School Board
District 2 – Nonpartisan
This district covers South Tampa and parts of East Hillsborough County. Brittany Lyssy is a young mother, an attorney and the former chair of the Hillsborough County Young Republicans. She is sharp, presents well, but in the past, she supported vouchers and charter schools. We want a School Board member focused on making public schools great, not expanding alternatives to public schools.
Chris Taylor was a teacher and converted over to owning and running businesses and is now executive vice president of a company that mines Bitcoin, validates blockchain transactions and hosts mining software. He’s also chair of the Hillsborough Education Foundation. He is smart and has experience in schools and business, which would be good for the School Board. He is also dismissive of his female opponents. That won’t work well on a board full of women.
Daniela Simic is our pick. She has a long resume in education. She knows the district’s strengths and more importantly, its weaknesses. She also worked in other districts and in private business, which helps her to bring in new and different ideas. She has the skills to work well with fellow board members and she has the confidence of the teachers’ union. She also has a child in a local public school. She is passionate about education, a good listener and smart.
District 6 – Nonpartisan
Incumbent Karen Perez is being challenged by Kenneth “Ken” Gay and Sally Harris “Ms Sally” Williamson. While the race is nonpartisan, party affiliation sometimes provides more clarity. Perez is a Democrat being challenged by two Republicans.
Gay has been a teacher for close to four decades and is now retired. He ran for School Board before. He sees one of the challenges is creating an environment where teachers can enjoy their job, feel safe and feel appreciated. Low pay isn’t the only reason people are leaving the profession.
Harris Williamson served on the School Board from 2014 to 2018. She is a long-time preschool owner in South Tampa. She has run a couple of times unsuccessfully. She now lives in Plant City. Harris knows the school district, works well with others and is passionate about children.
We endorse Karen Perez. She is a strong advocate for underserved children in the district. She is fiscally responsible. As a clinical social worker, she knows the importance of addressing mental health issues of students. She was first elected in 2018 and provides a unique perspective on the Board.

Circuit Judge
13th Judicial Circuit
Group 7
This race has two qualified candidates who are personable. Luis “Louie” Aguila is a native. His family owned the La Ideal Sandwich Shop in West Tampa. He was assistant state attorney under Mark Ober, Andrew Warren and Suzy Lopez. He is now with the statewide prosecutor’s office and handles cases in several counties. He has over a decade of legal experience.
Our pick is Sara Peacock. Peacock has 15 years of legal experience in criminal defense, family law and civil litigation. Her mother has been a judge for years, so she knows what the job entails. She is involved in her community, the Bar and in improving the legal profession. We think she’ll make a great judge.
Group 13
The public can’t go wrong in this race where Nina McGucken Alvarez and Jim Wimsatt are vying for votes.
McGucken Alvarez has 17 years of experience in the areas of family law, probate, guardianship. She is assistant regional counsel and represents indigent clients with developmental disabilities. She’s been a sole practitioner much of her career. She is a third-generation Tampeña. She operates with honesty and integrity.
Jim Wimsatt has practiced for 22 years, focused on family law. He is with Harris Hunt & Derr PA. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. His community service involves Metropolitan Ministries, Trinity Cafe and the Community Food Pantry. He is a Georgetown University Law Center graduate. Wimsatt is passionate about the law and fair.
It’s a close call. We will endorse Wimsatt, who has more years of experience and a history of community service.