Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (D) announced this morning that she has filed to run for Orlando Mayor. Rep. Eskamani was previously speculated to run for the Florida governorship, but she has confirmed that she's setting her sights on leading Orlando.
In a social media post shared this morning, Rep. Eskamani announced that she hopes to be Orlando's next mayor. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is currently serving his last term as mayor, and Rep. Eskamani says that she's ready to bring a people-centered approach to the mayorship.
Orlando, this morning, I will be filing to run as your next Mayor. I am honored for the opportunity to lead our incredible City Beautiful into the future!
For press– we’ll be holding a media gaggle at 8:30am outside the steps of City Hall. Onward!
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, PhD ? (@AnnaForFlorida) December 16, 2024
In a statement, she called the opportunity to run for Orlando mayor "the honor of a lifetime." "Orlando is where I grew up, went to school, and started my job," she shared, adding that "it's where my working-class immigrant parents saw an opportunity for their children and where I discovered my purposes after losing my mom to cancer at just 13 years old."
However, looking ahead at the 2026 election, she says that the 2024 election has left "much uncertainty." "We need a people-centered leader with the courage to challenge the status quo and the vision to deliver bold, creative solutions to address our community's everyday challenges - from homelessness and public safety to small business support and affordability," she expressed.
The Orlando Democrat has also received a slew of endorsements from the likes of Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost (D), state Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (D), and others.
Representative Anna V. Eskamani just filed her candidate paperwork to run for MAYOR of Orlando and we support her! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/jNNJ58hmfX
— Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (@CarlosGSmith) December 16, 2024
Eskamani is the first lawmaker to share her interest in becoming Orlando mayor, and over the weekend Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R) suggested that Florida Rep. Byron Donalds (R) would be launching a bid for the governorship.
It's clear that Florida is moving on from the 2024 presidential election and gearing up for the upcoming 2026 midterm election.
