ORLANDO, Fla. – Former Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith has his sights set on the 2024 election.
Smith made history in 2016 when he became the first openly gay Hispanic person elected to the Florida Legislature.
After serving three terms, he lost his bid for re-election during last year’s midterm election by four points, partly due to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ redistricting map shifting his former district to include parts of eastern Seminole County, which leans Republican.
Smith, though, is hoping that his time away from Tallahassee is brief as he’s filed to run for Florida Senate District 17, a position currently held by Sen. Linda Stewart (D) who’s unable to run again due to term limits.
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He joined anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly” to break down his 2024 campaign.
“We deserve to have champions in Tallahassee who care about people but also care about solving real issues,” Smith said. “We need a new Legislature that’s not obsessed with culture wars and with solving problems that do not exist. That’s why I’m running. I was born and raised in Florida. I love my community, I love this state, and I’m not willing to give up on it.”
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
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