¶ DCCC hits its KPIs with Bale Dalton
There are two realities in Democratic politics right now. One is where people like Ken Martin, Kamala Harris, and Chuck Schumer live, and the other is where you can find Maxwell Frost, AOC, James Talarico, and Marialana Kinter.
You don’t have to aggressively poll to know which group is more popular with voters. (Or more unpopular, since Dems have been loathed more than loved for most of the past 15 years.)
And yet, the DCCC is staying in its comfort zone by backing a candidate that has lived in the state for less time than Kinter has been campaigning.
And when I say campaigning, I’m not talking about going on talk shows or getting big checks from people who will never have to worry about the price of rent or gas. I’m talking about being at No Kings and sweating with the rest of us as she works deescalation. I’m talking about food, clothing, and luggage drives. Canvassing side by side with her counterparts, and holding tons of outreach events.
Having actual conversations with working people.
Making a campaign about us instead of her.
So maybe it makes sense that the moneyed side of the Democratic Party wouldn’t be tuned in. Or maybe they’re so scared of being proven wrong that they shipped us a candidate who is not even a member of the community in order to meet KPIs.
I don’t know, and I don’t care, because I don’t know him. I know Marialana Kinter. Because she reached out. — Soraya Garner, Sanford
[Embattled incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Cory Mills faces Democrats Bale Dalton (who has DCCC backing), Alan Grayson, and Marialana Kinter in the primaries.]
¶ STAR Plan could help Orange County move more efficiently
As I’ve grown up in Orlando, the biggest changes I’ve experienced are rent going up and traffic getting worse. I grew up seeing road widening projects left and right with the promise of making life easier for us, despite the fact that, according to a Texas A&M Transportation Institute study in 2024, Orlando residents were projected to lose $1,589 and 68 hours a year due to congestion. A better way is possible.
It’s time for Orlando to invest in trains and buses, the form of transportation that moves the most people, is the more affordable option for residents, and allows for building housing in the urban core that can lead to lower rents and walkable communities.
There’s a grassroots plan being pushed by the community to do so.
The STAR Plan (Sunshine Transportation Advancement Resolution) establishes a countywide framework to study, secure funding for, and develop rapid transit for eight high-volume transportation corridors. These eight corridors are areas Orlandoans are familiar with: Colonial, Semoran, Silver Star, Sunshine Corridor (MCO-Disney), International Drive, Orange Blossom, Kirkman, and SunRail Corridor.
Modeled on Miami-Dade County’s SMART Plan, STAR uses Tax Increment Financing to capture increases in property values and invest it back directly into the community through transit investments. These revenues would be allocated to a citizen-managed trust fund to ensure funds are managed efficiently and transparently. This trust fund prepares us for future revenue streams to go toward transit, like the Tourist Development Tax and any future transit sales tax. Establishing STAR also allows us to be more competitive for federal and state transit dollars, which can accelerate investments for rail expansion, new stations, and faster buses/train fleets.
Transit incentivizes more efficient, mixed developments that place diverse housing options closer to jobs, education, and leisure while offering more choices to travel. Transit is key to making Orlando an affordable and walkable place to live. There is already momentum for the STAR plan within the county. Orange County Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad has already sponsored STAR and has requested a hearing for it later this year. If the Orange County Board of Commissioners passes the STAR plan, we can begin working toward investments in transportation now. That would mean more and faster Lynx buses and a SunRail that runs on weekends. And we can start building a world-class rail system not just for tourists, but for all residents of Orange County. The only way for STAR to pass in Orange County is with your support.
Join us at one of our public transportation town halls this summer to learn more. — Giancarlo Rodriguez, Hub Coordinator, Sunrise Movement Orlando
This article appears in July 1-7, 2026 — Newcomers Guide.