State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani announced Monday that she'll be running for Orlando mayor in 2027.
The 34-year-old progressive Democrat was flanked by other local Democratic leaders as she announced her candidacy in front of City Hall.
Then she went inside to file the initial paperwork.
And so the race begins to replace longtime Mayor Buddy Dyer, who said after his reelection in November 2023 that it would be his last four-year term.
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Eskamani, a former senior director for Planned Parenthood, has represented much of Orlando in the Florida Legislature since 2018. She won reelection in state House District 42 this year with 59% of the vote.
Eskamani says her priorities would include homelessness and affordable housing, public transportation and support for small businesses.
“And we look forward,” she said, “to ensuring that we are prioritizing the needs of those that have less than anyone else. I believe firmly a society should be judged on how we treat the most marginalized.”
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