State Rep. Anna Eskamani via Florida House.
Orlando Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani announced her candidacy for mayor of Orlando in 2027 on Monday morning.
The progressive lawmaker has been in the Florida House since 2018 and, under legislative term limits, won reelection to her last term in the lower chamber this year with 58.9% of the vote.
“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!” Eskamani, who became the first Iranian American to hold public office in Florida, posted on X.
Eskamani is running to succeed Democrat Buddy Dyer, Orlando’s longest-serving mayor, who has won seven consecutive four-year terms, the latest one in 2023. The Central Florida city added nearly 150,000 residents between 2022 and 2023, making it the No. 4 metro area in the country for population growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
During a press conference in front of Orlando City Hall, the Democrat said she had been thinking about running for mayor for years. She plans to champion small businesses and public transportation and tackle homelessness and affordability problems, she said.
“We know that this is a pivotal moment in Orlando’s history, and we need a leader that is people-focused, that is strategic and creative, and finding solutions to our toughest problems, and, of course, one who is also accountable and accessible and ethical,” Eskamani said. “We need government to work for the people. Our slogan is, ‘Working for you and fighting for us,’ and that is my commitment to my constituents of The City Beautiful every single day.”
Democratic lawmakers, including state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Reps. Lavon Bracy and Johanna Lopez endorsed Eskamani for mayor. U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost and Orlando-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell have also endorsed her, Eskamani said.