Samuel Vilchez Santiago
Orange County Democratic Party chair; endorsed by outgoing Rep. Johanna López for HD 43. Ran in the Aug. 18, 2026 Democratic primary; result unverified.
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Sources last checked 2026-10-12. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Property taxes Leans agree· stated position
Named expanded homestead exemptions, along with toll reduction, as areas where he could work with Republicans.
"I do think there's an opportunity to work together on issues that are less, you know, polarizing."
Property insurance Leans agree· stated position
Wants to lower property-insurance costs by holding insurers accountable and expanding My Safe Florida Home grants.
"Lower property insurance costs by holding insurers accountable and expanding My Safe Florida Home grants"
Housing affordability Strongly agrees· stated position
Calls for fully funding housing-affordability programs and restoring local control to cities.
"Fully fund housing affordability programs and restore local control to cities"
Immigration Strongly disagrees· stated position
Would block state cooperation with mass-deportation efforts, restore in-state tuition for Dreamers and TPS holders, and repeal SB 1718 and the TRUMP Act.
"Block state cooperation with mass deportation efforts"
Abortion Strongly agrees· stated position
Vilchez Santiago said abortion restrictions should be less strict and that he opposes the six-week ban.
"Less strict. I oppose Florida’s 6-week abortion ban"
Health care Strongly agrees· stated position
Priorities page calls for expanding Medicaid and lowering prescription-drug prices.
"Expand Medicaid and lower prescription drug prices"
Education & school choice Leans disagree· stated position
Calls for fully funding public education and improving oversight of voucher programs, without proposing to end them.
"Improve oversight of voucher programs"
Environment & water Leans agree· stated position
He named clean water, clean air and protected green spaces as the top environmental issue and cited his work to protect Split Oak Forest.
Growth & development Leans agree· stated position
He said he would vote to protect local governments' ability to set rural boundaries and opposes routine state preemption.
"In Tallahassee, I would vote to protect local governments’ ability to establish rural boundaries and protect environmentally sensitive land."
Elections & voting Strongly agrees· stated position
Calls for expanding early voting and vote-by-mail, fighting voter suppression and opposing partisan gerrymandering.
"Expand early voting and vote-by-mail access"
Energy & utilities Strongly agrees· stated position
He said data centers should bear their full infrastructure costs and that the state should invest in clean, renewable energy and grid modernization.
"We should also invest in clean, renewable energy sources and grid modernization"
No public position found on 7 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Guns, Marijuana, Crime & policing, Gender identity laws, Trump administration, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Equality Florida PAC
- Orlando Sentinel editorial board
- Sierra Club Florida