Osceola County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census,the population was 388,656. Its county seat is Kissimmee. Osceola County is included in the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford,Fla. Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Walter Mercado Salinas,also known by his stage name Shanti Ananda,was a Puerto Rican astrologer,actor,dancer,and writer,best known as a television personality for his shows as an astrologer. His astrological prediction shows aired for decades in Puerto Rico,Latin America and the United States,and he became a cultural phenomenon in the Hispanic community.
Azalea Park is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Orange County,Florida,United States. The population was 12,556 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford,Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Nuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Ricans located in or around New York City,or of their descendants. This term is sometimes used for Puerto Ricans living in other areas in the Northeastern US Mainland outside New York State as well. The term is also used by Islander Puerto Ricans to differentiate those of Puerto Rican descent from the Puerto Rico-born.
Nydia Margarita Velázquez Serrano is a politician serving in the United States House of Representatives since 1993. A Democrat from New York,Velázquez chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus until January 3,2011. Her district,in New York City,was numbered the 12th district from 1993 to 2013 and has been numbered the 7th district since 2013. Velázquez is the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the United States Congress.
Joseph Michael "Joe" Acabá is a Puerto Rican educator,hydrogeologist,and NASA astronaut. In May 2004 he became the first person of Puerto Rican heritage to be named as a NASA astronaut candidate,when he was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Training Group 19. He completed his training on February 10,2006,and was assigned to STS-119,which flew from March 15 to 28,2009,to deliver the final set of solar arrays to the International Space Station.
Richard T. Crotty is an American politician who served as the Mayor of Orange County,Florida.
Gwen Margolis was a Democratic politician from Florida. She served three different times in the Florida Senate:from 1980 to 1992,2002 to 2008,and 2010 to 2016. She served as Senate President for the 1990–92 term,becoming the first woman president and the last president to preside over a majority-Democratic chamber. Prior to her time in the Senate,she serve three terms in the Florida House of Representatives,from 1974 to 1980.
Jenniffer Aydin González Colón is a Puerto Rican politician who serves as the 20th Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. González has served in leadership positions in the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (PNP) and in the Republican Party of the United States. These positions included being the chairwoman of the Puerto Rico Republican Party,speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico,and vice-chair of the PNP. González is the youngest person to be Resident Commissioner and the first woman to hold the role.
Darren Michael Soto is an American attorney and Democratic politician from Kissimmee,Florida,who is the U.S. representative for Florida's 9th district.
Carlos Lopez-Cantera is an American politician who served as the 19th lieutenant governor of Florida from 2014 to 2019.
The statehood movement in Puerto Rico aims to make Puerto Rico a state of the United States. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territorial possession of the United States acquired in 1898 following the Spanish–American War,making it "the oldest colony in the modern world". As of 2019,the population of Puerto Rico is 3.2 million,around half the average state population and higher than that of 20 U.S. states. Competing options for the future political status of Puerto Rico include maintaining its current status,becoming fully independent,or becoming a freely associated state. Puerto Rico has held six referendums on the topic. These are non-binding,as the power to grant statehood lies with the US Congress. The most recent referendum was in November 2020,with a majority (52.52%) of those who voted opting for statehood;however,only 0.7 million of the 3.2 million Puerto Ricans who live in the archipelago voted for statehood
Valdez Venita Demings is an American politician and former police officer serving as the U.S. representative from Florida's 10th congressional district since 2017. The district covers most of the western half of Orlando and includes much of the area around Orlando's resort parks. It includes many of Orlando's western suburbs,including Apopka and Winter Garden. From 2007 to 2011,Demings was chief of the Orlando Police Department,its first female chief,capping a 27-year career with the department. She has also been first lady of Orange County,Florida,since December 4,2018,when her husband Jerry Demings was sworn in as the mayor.
Victor Manuel Torres Jr. is a Democratic member of the Florida Senate who has represented the 15th district,encompassing Osceola County and southern Orange County,since 2016. Previously,he served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives,representing parts of Orlando in Orange County from 2012 to 2016.
The 2018 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 6,2018,to elect the next governor of Florida,alongside an election to the United States Senate,elections to the United States House of Representatives and other state and local elections. Incumbent two-term Republican governor Rick Scott was term-limited and could not run for a third term,so he instead ran for Florida's Class I Senate seat.
Rene "Coach P" Plasencia is an American Republican politician who currently serves as a member of the Florida House of Representatives,representing the 50th District from 2016 to 2022. He previously was elected in the 49th District in 2014,in Orange County.
Robert Cortes is a Republican politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2014 to 2018,representing the 30th District,which includes Altamonte Springs,Casselberry,Maitland,and Winter Park in southern Seminole County and northern Orange County.
The 2022 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 8,2022,to elect the governor of Florida,alongside other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Party governor Ron DeSantis won re-election in a landslide,defeating the Democratic Party nominee,former U.S. representative Charlie Crist,who previously served as governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican. Crist ran for governor in 2014 as well. He was seeking to become the first Democrat elected governor of Florida since 1994.
Daisy Morales is an American Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives of District 48,serving Orange County since 2020. She has previously served on the Orange County board as a supervisor of the Soil and Water Conservation.
