ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Even with Florida being a red state, state Republicans are trying to gain ground in Central Florida and they see District 9 as vulnerable.
The district is comprised of Osceola County and parts of Orange County including Orlando International Airport and areas just north of it to State Road 408 between Edgewood and State Road 417.
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It also includes a small part of Polk County and covers much of the tourist district abutting Florida’s major theme parks, as well as cattle and farmland, and an estimated 821,662 people live there, more than half of whom — 435,376 — are Hispanic or Latino, according to the latest U.S. Census.
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This year, Democratic incumbent Rep. Darren Soto is facing Republican Thomas Chalifoux and NPA candidate Marcus Carter.
District 9 is also the only Central Florida race the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee will be putting resources toward.
According to the Flordia Division of Elections, there are 116,252 registered Republicans, 165,262 registered Democrats and 149,021 no-party-affiliate voters eligible to vote for this district.
News 6 sent a questionnaire asking candidates about their background and their views on several issues, all based on issues our viewers said would inform their votes.
Election Day is Nov. 5.
Darren Soto (D) - Campaign website
Big on Hispanic issues and constituent services, Soto has a lot of achievements listed on his campaign site, including bills passed in Congress, like the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act, Seminole Tribal Lands Bill, and designating the National Pulse Memorial.
Soto also listed the federal funding he’s secured for District 9, such as $233 million for Orlando International Airport upgrades.
In June, News 6 spoke to Soto about his efforts to pass the 2024 Shield Act, aimed at protecting victims of online identity theft.
Soto was first elected in 2016 and he won his last election by 15,000 votes. In the past four presidential elections, his district has voted for the Democratic candidate. Prior to Washington, Soto spent more than nine years in the Florida Legislature.
Soto sent back the following responses to our questionnaire. Responses are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing.
Question: What expertise will you be able to bring to Congress if elected?
Soto: “I am a 4-term incumbent with extensive legal and legislative experience in Congress and a strong track record in areas such as job creation, infrastructure, housing, technology, environmental protection, healthcare, and veterans issues.”
Question: What do you see as the three biggest priorities for your Congressional district and how would you help your constituents with them if elected?
Soto: “Jobs, Infrastructure, and Housing.
“If re-elected, we would continue to work on developing new high-tech manufacturing, biotech, aerospace and clean energy jobs in places like East Orange, Lake Nona, NeoCity and more. We would continue to assist these industries with funding, contract and research opportunities through the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the Federal Budget.
“We helped secure $3.5 billion to expand I-4, over $300 million for upgrades to Orlando International Airport, $1.3 billion for Poinciana Parkway and $16 million to start design on the SunRail/Brightline Expansion. We would continue to oversee these projects and work to secure the additional funding needed for the SunRail/Brightline expansion.
“We also support Vice President Harris’ proposed housing plan to build 3 million new homes through incentives for construction of starter homes and affordable apartments, down payment assistance for first-time home buyers, and by stopping hedge funds from purchasing local homes.”
Question: We asked our viewers what their top issues are in this election. We’ve listed them below. Tell us how you would vote on bills related to these three issues:
Border security and immigration reform
Soto: “I support the recent bipartisan Senate border security package to secure the Southern border. I also support comprehensive immigration reform to create a pathway to citizenship for dreamers, TPS recipients and longtime farm workers.”
Economy and the cost of living
Soto: “I have worked with the Biden-Harris Administration to improve supply chains, boost production and grow our workforce to address pandemic-related inflation. We have made progress toward these goals through passage and implementation of the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Law, CHIPS Act, and the IRA.
“As a result, America has had the strongest economic recovery from the pandemic of any high-income country in the world. Inflation is now at 2.4%, which is a 3-year low. Jobs are up. Growth is up. The stock market is up. Interest rates and gas prices are down. We still have more work to do, especially on housing, to finish the job.”
Abortion:
Soto: “I support the Women’s Health Protection Act which would codify into federal law a woman’s right to choose as established in Roe v. Wade. I also support Amendment 4 to codify reproductive freedoms into the Florida Constitution.”
Question: Our viewers tell us they are concerned that monthly social security benefits do not keep up with monthly costs of living. If elected, would you support effects to close this gap, i.e. ending social security taxes and/or changing the formula that calculates what those monthly benefits are supposed to be each year?
Soto: “I support the Social Security 2100 Act. This bill would enact an immediate cost of living raise for seniors. It would also raise the Social Security income cap and adjust payroll taxes to ensure Social Security is fully funded to 2100 and beyond.”
Question: Another issue voters care about is the cost of insurance, health insurance, property insurance and auto insurance. What can you do at the federal level to help bring down the cost of insurance?
Soto: “I have helped make Obamacare more affordable for middle class families by voting for the passage of the ACA Enhancement Act (in the IRA). This has helped 4.2 million Floridians get healthcare under our ACA Exchange, the largest in the nation. Our District has the second most enrollment of any district in the nation too.
“I also voted for the IRA, which is reducing prescription drug costs. It capped insulin at $35 a month, caps seniors’ out-of-pocket prescription costs at $3,500 annually this year, and a $2,000 cap for next year. It also allows Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.
“I support reauthorizing the flood insurance program and raising the home replacement costs (currently only $250,000) to help Floridians recover from hurricanes. I also co-introduced the bipartisan Homeowners Premium Tax Reduction Act which would grant homeowners an above-the-line tax deduction of up to $10,000 annually for premiums paid on homeowners’ insurance for their primary residence.
“Ultimately we must address climate change which is causing intensifying hurricanes, rising seas and extreme heat, which in turn are causing insurance rates to rise. The IRA includes the largest investment to combat climate change in the history of the world. It will reduce our emissions by an estimated 40% by 2030.
“I am proud to help Florida lead this transition to clean energy though lowering costs for electric vehicles, solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and home resilience, by reducing industrial emissions, and more.”
Thomas Chalifoux (R) - Campaign website
After serving in the Army for thirty years, Thomas Chalifoux will experience his first election in November.
Chalifoux sent back the following responses to our questionnaire. Responses are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing.
Question: What expertise will you be able to bring to Congress if elected?
Chalifoux: “I am a 30-year retired Army Colonel. I have founded Thomas Contracting for over 40 years and have done over $400 million in construction, own and manage 700,000 SF of commercial and self-storage space, owned and operated for 16 years water and sewer utility company and own and operated 3 Ponderosa Steak Houses. I served 8 years on Osceola County School Board and 23 years in Kissimmee Board of Adjustment. Over the years of business, I have hired over 1,000 employees and managed successfully million dollars in business enterprises. I have a tremendous amount of real-world business experience and leadership skills to hold government agencies accountable.”
Question: What do you see as the three biggest priorities for your Congressional district and how would you help your constituents with them if elected?
Chalifoux: “My top priorities are: 1.stop run-away inflation by cutting wasteful government spending; 2. secure our borders from illegal aliens and deport convicted criminals; 3. Traffic congression in central Florida must be address and solved by promoting more federal funding for additional roads and highway expansion and promote cost effective rail systems; 4. We must be energy independent which will reduce costs at the pump and cause lower prices for consumers.”
Question: We asked our viewers what their top issues are in this election. We’ve listed them below. Tell us how you would vote on bills related to these three issues:
Border security and immigration reform
Chalifoux: “Secure our borders now. As a retired Army Colonel, I know how to enforce accountability of those assigned to do a job. We have witness a total lack of accountability.”
Economy and the cost of living
Chalifoux: “We can no longer spend money we don’t have. Printing more money devaluates the dollar and must stop. Our government spends 25% more than it takes in. As a businessman I know how to effectively management a budget. Spending money government doesn’t have, then printing money without the ability to repay has caused run-away inflation and sky rocketing costs of goods and services. The Biden/Harris administration recklessly spent money we didn’t have. As example the funding of Ukraine, forgive college loans, supporting millions of illegal aliens, etc.”
Abortion
Chalifoux: “I feel Amendment 4 is misleading, I do support abortion for rape, incest and life of the mother, however I also support the life of the unborn baby.”
Question: Our viewers tell us they are concerned that monthly social security benefits do not keep up with monthly costs of living. If elected, would you support effects to close this gap, i.e. ending social security taxes and/or changing the formula that calculates what those monthly benefits are supposed to be each year?
Chalifoux: “Social Security benefits is for those who work and contributed into the system, which has not been the case. Congress has dip into Social Security funds over the years. I will vote to insure we increase the monthly benefits to keep up with cost-of-living increases. The social security must be critically audited to insure we are not paying people that don’t deserve or have passed away but still are being sent benefits. My mother does not collect enough to live on and her family must supplement that shortage. I have witnessed the cost of housing, utilities, food and other necessities have double over the past 10 years. Another cause is short-sighted foreign polices by spending trillions of dollars in endless wars.”
Question: Another issue voters care about is the cost of insurance, health insurance, property insurance and auto insurance. What can you do at the federal level to help bring down the cost of insurance?
Chalifoux: “As a businessman I understand and pay for out-of-control health, property, auto insurance costs. Each year we seeing 15-20% increases with no claims. These issues are control by the state, however any assistance I can do, I will support those insurance reductions.”
Marcus Carter (I) - Campaign website
According to his campaign website, “Carter is a disabled veteran, entrepreneur, and devoted father, Marcus is committed to serving the people of Florida with integrity, transparency, and dedication. Join us in our journey to bring real change to our community and our nation.”
Carter sent back the following responses to our questionnaire. Responses are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing.
Question: What expertise will you be able to bring to Congress if elected?
Carter: “I’m offering something new, because experienced politicians created the problems we’re facing, and it won’t be experienced politicians who solve them. My expertise doesn’t come from politics; it comes from living in this district and experiencing firsthand the damage corrupt politicians have caused. I served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I know those wars made us weaker and the world less secure—just like what we’re seeing in Ukraine and Israel today. As a father, I’m navigating a broken education system for my boys and a healthcare system that fails families like mine, especially with my youngest on life support. It’s this combination of real-life experience and a deep understanding that we can’t fix a broken political system by continuing to elect the same people who broke it. That’s why I’m standing up- I know what it means to serve.”
Question: What do you see as the three biggest priorities for your Congressional district and how would you help your constituents with them if elected?
Carter: “The three biggest priorities for our district are mental health, immigration, and the economy. The mental health crisis is devastating families, and I’m working on a bill to declare a national mental health emergency and create a special committee to address the root causes and recommend real solutions. On immigration, we need a common-sense approach to secure the border and reform the system to work for our country and those seeking a better life. For the economy, I’m focused on cutting wasteful spending and implementing my housing bill, which would create a government-backed 3% home loan program for all Americans. This bill would also ban investment groups from purchasing single-family homes, restoring fairness in the housing market and making homeownership achievable again. Finally, modernizing education is essential to building a workforce that can thrive in the 21st century. These are the key priorities I will champion to bring meaningful change to Florida’s 9th District.”
Question: We asked our viewers what their top issues are in this election. We’ve listed them below. Tell us how you would vote on bills related to these three issues:
Border security and immigration reform
Carter: “On border security and immigration reform, I support common-sense solutions that secure the border and fix our broken system. I don’t believe we need a new bill to secure the border—we already have the laws and resources we need. What we need is to get politics out of sovereignty and enforce the laws already in place. I also support establishing a clear deportation program for individuals here illegally who violate our laws or pose a threat. At the same time, we must ensure our immigration system supports industries that rely on immigrant labor. I would vote for bills that prioritize enforcing existing laws while providing a streamlined path for legal immigration that meets our country’s needs.”
Economy and the cost of living
Carter: “When it comes to the economy and cost of living, I would vote to cut wasteful government spending and boost energy production, as these are the two biggest drivers of inflation. Cutting spending reduces the strain on our economy, and increasing energy production—especially domestic oil and renewable sources—will lower energy costs, which directly impacts inflation. Additionally, I’ll support policies that make housing more affordable, like my 3% home loan bill, and focus on modernizing education to build a future workforce that can thrive.”
Abortion
Carter: “According to the Constitution, abortion is a state issue, which is why I wouldn’t vote for or against any abortion measures at the federal level. That said, I am pro-life. My six-year-old son has been on life support since birth, and doctors encouraged us to consider an abortion. Not only am I grateful we didn’t, but I also can’t imagine considering it if he had been healthy. The fact that over 90% of abortions are elective and not related to healthcare is unimaginable to me, and it’s not something a society aiming for progress should accept.”
Question: Our viewers tell us they are concerned that monthly social security benefits do not keep up with monthly costs of living. If elected, would you support effects to close this gap, i.e. ending social security taxes and/or changing the formula that calculates what those monthly benefits are supposed to be each year?
Carter: “This issue is 100% the result of our broken two-party system and decades of failure. Fixing Social Security is mathematically simple, but the real problem is that it taxes the wealthy donors of both Republicans and Democrats, which is why it’s been allowed to reach this crisis point. I believe we need to have a conversation about whether Social Security is the best way forward in the long term, but not until we stabilize the program. If we remove the income cap of $160,000, we could actually lower withholding rates for everyone and secure the program for decades to come. Only then can we start discussing potential transitions, but first, we must stop the bleeding so the lives of millions don’t hang in the balance. Like many issues, we need to stabilize before we can talk about real change.”
Question: Another issue voters care about is the cost of insurance, health insurance, property insurance and auto insurance. What can you do at the federal level to help bring down the cost of insurance?
Carter: The first step to bringing down the cost of insurance is not taking money from insurance companies, which is something Darren Soto does regularly. This creates a clear conflict of interest and is the root cause of the problem. We will never find real solutions while our elected officials are profiting from the very companies they are supposed to regulate. Darren Soto is the poster child for this—just follow the money. There is a lot of work to do, especially with insurance in Florida, and I’m looking forward to addressing this problem with the people’s best interests in mind, not the donations fed to me by the insurance industry.”
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