Florida State House Candidates Daisy Morales, Pam Powell, Johanna López Lead Orange County Voter Petition Certifications After Deadline

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Daisy Morales re-election campaign for State Representative has announced that Rep. Morales currently leads among the 47 candidates in 11 Florida House races representing Orange County in certified candidate petitions from Orange County voters, according to the Florida Division of Elections website.

All state representative candidates were required to collect a minimum of 599 petitions. To date, Rep. Morales has had 789 petitions certified, topping the Orange County voter petition count with 595 certified. Pam Powell, Democratic candidate for House District 41, comes in second with 584 certified Orange County petitions to date out of 624. Orange County School Board member Johanna López, Democratic candidate for Florida House District 43, comes third with 493 certified in Orange County out of a total 611 to date.

State House races representing Orange County include Districts 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 47. Incumbents running for another term in the Florida House: Reps. Fred Hawkins (R-HD 35), Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-HD 37), David Smith (R-HD 38), Travaris McCurdy (D-HD 41), Anna Eskamani (D-HD 42) and Daisy Morales (D-HD 44).

Petitions certified by local Supervisor of Elections offices must be submitted to the Florida Division of Elections no later than June 6, 2022.

“Voter engagement is more than collecting signatures, and it’s more rewarding than paying the $1,781.82 qualification fee,” said Rep. Morales in the campaign press release. “Paying the fee is a simple transaction with the [Florida Division] of Elections. Collecting signatures, on the other hand, gives a candidate an opportunity to learn more about voters’ concerns ahead of the election.”

According to the campaign press release, Morales collected a considerable amount of petitions from the Hispanic, Haitian, and Muslim populations. “The black and brown communities help me cross the finish line in getting the required number of petitions,” she said in the press release. “This is why it’s so important to build strong relationships with them, and not take them for granted, which is exactly how they feel they’re treated by many candidates during election cycles. I’ve engaged with Orange County voters throughout my whole term, not just in time for the election.”

Morales noted in the press release that her community involvement over the last eight years as Orange Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor and State Representative made it much easier for voters to sign petitions on her behalf. “The voters weren’t engaging a stranger or a newcomer,” she noted. “My long-standing relationship in the community made it easier for voters to sign the petitions for my bid for a second term in the Florida House. I look forward to being on the August and November ballots and winning my second term.”

Florida’s primary election takes place August 23, 2022 and the general election follows on November 8, 2022.