Congressional District 9: Incumbent Soto runs on record; Moore touts ‘America first’ agenda
Soto #Soto
In one of the state’s safest congressional districts for Democrats, a Republican former Christian missionary is hoping to topple a veteran Democrat who has comfortably won three elections in the district spanning south Orange, all of Osceola and part of Polk.
Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, was unopposed in the August primary, while Scotty Moore, an Orlando Republican, prevailed in a four-way race to represent the party on the November ballot.
Soto, first elected in 2016, said his time in Congress has shown he’s an effective member whether Democrats hold the majority or are in the minority and that he’s leading efforts to land federal funding for rail expansion to Orlando International Airport, to Orlando’s tourism corridor and on to Tampa.
“I’ve passed legislation to help central Florida in both the majority and minority,” he said.
Moore charged that Congress needs an “America First” agenda that he supports and that economic headwinds could help carry him to Washington.
“We believe there’s a leadership crisis and we’re asking people to ask the question: ‘Are you better off than you were two years ago?’” he said.
While the district lines changed some in the once-a-decade redistricting process, it still looks safe for Democrats, according to MCI Maps. About 58% of voters at precincts in the district voted for Joe Biden in 2020, and about 61% voted for Andrew Gillum in 2018.
Soto has raised more than $1 million toward the race, compared with Moore’s $491,523.
Whether Soto retains his seat, the region’s congressional delegation will change substantially. The Orlando region was represented by three Democrats: Soto, Rep. Val Demings and Rep. Stephanie Murphy since 2016. Demings is running for U.S. Senate and Murphy decided not to seek reelection.
Should Soto be re-elected, he said he’d relish the chance to lead on local issues as the area’s most experienced member.
“It means shouldering the burden that we deliver key funding projects and key policy projects from the region,” he said. “I’d like to think I’ve already started doing that.”
Specifically, he mentioned efforts to fund rail expansion and the Beyond I-4 Ultimate plan, bringing high-wage jobs to Neo City and Lake Nona as well as benefits the state could see from the $369 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which includes money for green energy and other initiatives to combat climate change.
That act drew criticism from Moore, who said those policies are similar to others endorsed in the “Green New Deal.” Moore said the Act is evidence of the nation’s spending problem, and instead Congress should be focused on achieving energy independence and lowering fuel costs for consumers.
“The gas prices are out of control and that’s affecting every sector … and trust me, that’s what everybody is talking about,” he said. “I’m all for investing in our infrastructure … but for example, they’re pushing Green-New-Deal types of things.”
Moore said a Republican-led Congress would secure the southern U.S. border, and he would support more domestic oil production.
He’s also criticized Soto for voting most of the time with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; the incumbent said that’s a signal of his support of Democrats’ agenda and noted he’s a member of the bipartisan Problem Solver’s Caucus.
The two candidates differ on many hot-button issues along party lines: Soto supports abortion rights, while Moore is pro-life. Soto voted for the bipartisan gun-safety bill signed by President Joe Biden earlier this year, while Moore opposes restrictions on firearms.
In a candidate forum in August hosted by the Orlando Sentinel, Moore was among the area GOP Congressional candidates who said they didn’t think Biden “legitimately” won the presidency in 2020.
Former President Donald Trump has wrongly said his election defeat was “rigged” and an Associated Press investigation has found no evidence of the widespread voter fraud he’s alleged. Courts have also rejected numerous claims.
Complete election coverage can be found at OrlandoSentinel.com/election .
©2022 Orlando Sentinel. Visit orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.