Marucci Guzmán Enters HD 35 Race
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Latino Leadership executive director Marucci Guzmán filed Wednesday to replace Republican State Representative Fred Hawkins in Florida House District 35, which encompasses parts of Orange and Osceola counties, according to a campaign press release.
State Rep. Hawkins resigned his seat June 30, 2023 after he was named President of South Florida State College.
Guzmán’s family is part of a political powerhouse of elected officials at the state level representing Orange and Seminole counties. She is married to former Republican Florida State Representative Rene “Coach P” Plasencia, who resigned from the Florida House in 2022 for a job with IBM. Guzmán’s sister-in-law Susan Plasencia is the current Republican Florida State Representative for House District 37.
In her run for HD 35, Guzmán will add her name to a list of Puerto Rican candidates in Orange and Osceola counties seeking to rewrite history by electing a wave of Puerto Ricans to represent State Senate seat 25, and State House seats 43, 44, 46 and 47.
Guzmán, a registered Democrat, will join a rematch fight between candidates Rishi Bagga and Tom Keen for the Democratic nomination. Erika Booth, Ken Davenport and Scotty Moore are among the Republicans seeking to keep Hawkins’s seat in the Republican Party.
Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 23-140, setting a Special Election for House District 35 with the Special Primary Election happening November 7, 2023 and the Special General Election happening January 16, 2024.
“I’m excited to announce my campaign for the Florida House. Working families in Orange and Osceola counties deserve an experienced leader who fights for them and not for Tallahassee elites, and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work earning their trust and support,” Guzmán’s statement said.
“As a working mom and longtime resident of Orlando who has dedicated her career to working with underserved central Florida families, I have seen time and time again our community’s disenfranchisement. We deserve better.”
In her press statement, Guzmán noted that this Special Election is a critical opportunity to flip this seat from Republican control and ensure that the people here at home have a strong Democrat fighting for them every day. “That’s exactly what I plan to do and I am excited to bring all of us together and run a strong race that puts the people back in charge.”
A mother of two daughters, Guzmán currently serves as the Executive Director of Latino Leadership, Central Florida’s most prominent Latino-focused nonprofit community-based organization. Her accomplishments span the globe, having organized disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico, Haiti, and El Salvador. She also founded Latino Leadership Behavioral Health in response to the mental health trauma caused by Hurricane Maria. Additionally, with a passion for advocating for special needs children, Guzmán led an effort to pass legislation that made it easier for children on the autism spectrum to receive the critical and unique medical care they need.
Guzmán most recently spearheaded the creation of Clínica Mi Salud, a free medical clinic for the uninsured, which serves more than 800 patients through primary care, psychiatry, pediatrics, and women’s health. She also served two terms on the Orange County Library Board of Trustees, where she focused on highlighting the importance of bringing a new branch to Lake Nona. Her career has been recognized by the University of Phoenix’s National Hispanic Leadership Scholarship and Coors Líderes, the statement cited.