Melquíades Rafael Ruiz Martínez is a Cuban-American lobbyist and former politician who served as a United States senator from Florida from 2005 to 2009 and as general chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19,2007. Previously,Martínez served as the 12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush. Martínez is a Cuban-American and Roman Catholic. He announced he was resigning as general chairman of the Republican National Committee on October 19,2007.
Elizabeth Castor is an American educator and former politician. Castor was elected to the Florida Senate and as Florida Education Commissioner,and she subsequently served as the President of the University of South Florida,and President of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is the public school district for Orange County,Florida. It is based in the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center in downtown Orlando. As of the 2022-23 school year,OCPS has an enrollment of 208,788 students,making it the 9th largest school district in the United States and the fourth largest in Florida. The school district also employs over 24,294 instructional and classified employees,which make up more than 95% of the OCPS work force. It includes the entire county.
Katherine Anne Castor is an American politician and lawyer currently representing Florida's 14th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives,serving since 2007. The district,numbered as the 11th district from 2007 to 2013,is based in Tampa. A Democrat,Castor was a member of the Hillsborough County Commission.
Dixon Alan Hays is a politician who was elected Supervisor of Elections for Lake County,Florida,in 2016. He previously was a member of the Florida State Senate from 2010 to 2016 and a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2004 to 2010. He is a Republican.
Daniel Alan Webster is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 11th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Republican Party,he first entered Congress in 2011. He represented Florida's 10th congressional district from 2011 to 2017. Before his congressional service,he served 28 years in the Florida legislature,and was the first Republican Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives since Reconstruction.
Marti Coley is a former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives,representing the 5th District,which includes Holmes County,Jackson County,Walton County,Washington County,and northern Bay County,since 2012,previously representing the 7th District from 2005 to 2012.
Geraldine Fortenberry Thompson is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party,who currently serves as a member of the Florida State Senate from the 15th district. She served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives,representing the 44th District from 2018 to 2022. The district included Windermere,Winter Garden,Gotha,Lake Buena Vista,Oakland,parts of Ocoee,and the Dr. Phillips,Horizon West,and Williamsburg communities in Southwest Orange County,FL. The district contains Walt Disney World,Universal Studios Florida,SeaWorld,International Drive,and the Orange County Convention Center.
Dorothy L. Hukill was an American politician who was a Republican member in the Florida Senate who represented parts of the Volusia County area from 2012 until her death in 2018. She represented the 14th district,encompassing southern Volusia and northern Brevard Counties,since 2016,after being redistricted from the 8th district,which included parts of Volusia,Lake,and Marion Counties. She also served in the Florida House of Representatives,representing the 28th district in southern Volusia from 2004 to 2012.
Suzanne Kosmas is the former U.S. Representative for Florida's 24th congressional district,serving one term from 2009 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously served in the Florida House of Representatives.
Maria Lorts Sachs is a Democratic politician from Florida. She was a member of the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2016,representing parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Previously,she served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives,representing part of southern Palm Beach County from 2006 until her election to the Senate. After her seat was redistricted in 2016,she opted not to seek reelection,and was hired as the executive director of Innovation Florida,a nonprofit advocacy organization.
Scott Plakon is an American politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives for the 37th district from 2008 to 2012 and 29th district from 2014 to 2022.
Nancy C. Detert was an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Florida who served as a Sarasota County Commissioner from 2016 until her death. Previously,she represented parts of Sarasota and Charlotte Counties in the Florida Senate,from 2008 to 2016,and served four terms in the Florida House of Representatives,from 1998 to 2006.
Bruce Hadley Antone is an American politician from Florida. A Democrat,he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2002 to 2006,from 2012 to 2020,and again from 2022,representing parts of Orlando in Orange County.
Lizbeth Benacquisto is a Republican politician from Florida who served as a member of the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2020. She was a candidate in the 2014 special election for Florida's 19th congressional district.
Valdez Venita Demings is an American politician and former police officer who served as the U.S. representative from Florida's 10th congressional district from 2017 to 2023. 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.
Gwendolyn Graham is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 2nd congressional district from 2015 to 2017. She is the daughter of Bob Graham,the former United States senator and governor of Florida. A Democrat,she was a candidate in the 2018 Democratic primary for Florida governor. Graham is currently assistant secretary of education for legislation and congressional affairs in the Biden administration.
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.
Robert B. "Bob" Sindler is a Democratic politician who served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1988 to 1998,and who served on the Orange County Commission from 1998 to 2006. He is currently a candidate for the Florida Senate in 2016.
Anna Vishkaee Eskamani is an American politician who is the member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 42nd district,encompassing parts of Orlando along with Maitland,Winter Park,Eatonville,Edgewood,and Belle Isle. She is the first Iranian American elected to any public office in Florida. Eskamani is a member of the Democratic Party and supports abortion rights,increased gun control,increasing expenditures on public education,and strengthening environmental regulations.
