Aramis Ayala Announces Congressional run

As expected, the race for Florida’s 10^th Congressional District will be one of the most watched across the country as Rep. Val Demings (D) is set to challenge Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) for his Senate seat. Subsequently, two challengers have emerged for the Congressional seat, but the first person to announce her candidacy was Civil Rights Activist Natalie Jackson (D). Now, another challenger who had long been speculated to announce her candidacy has done so. Orlando’s former State Attorney Aramis Ayala (D) has officially announced her candidacy for the Congressional seat, saying that District 10 is “where I can best be of service.”

In launching a campaign video that details her story as a survivor of cancer at the age of 24, Ayala expressed, “I am a survivor.” However, she asserted that “so are we all.”

“Last year we survived an incredible crisis,” she added, commenting that “many of us are still hurting.” “Just like I was given a second chance, we all were. And now it’s up to us what we’ll do with it,” Ayala stated.

She further commented that “since the fifth grade I knew my calling was summed up with one word: justice.”

On Tuesday, State Senator Randolph Bracy (D) announced that he would be challenging for the seat, and Jackson has picked up her first endorsements.

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump and Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, announced that they were endorsing Jackson in a video shared by Jackson’s campaign.

In the 13-second video, both Floyd and Crump say that they are “proud to endorse Natalie Jackson for U.S. Congress.”

GOP members have also emerged as potential candidates, but the district is considered a solid blue district.

Nevertheless, Carter Morgan (R) and Willie Montague (R) of Orlando have filed to run in the race, and the race is sure to be highly contested.