Eskamani files to run for Orlando mayor

State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, has officially filed paperwork to run in 2027 to replace Orlando’s longtime Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Already boasting a number of early endorsements from local, state and federal elected officials, Dr. Eskamani said Monday she intends to bring a “people-centered approach” to city leadership if elected.

“In 2027, Orlando faces a pivotal moment. And with so much uncertainty at the national level, we need a people-centered leader with the courage to challenge the status quo and the vision to deliver bold, creative solutions to address our community’s everyday challenges — from homelessness and public safety to small business support and affordability,” Eskamani shared in a statement. “These issues are complex, but through grit, grace, and a relentless work ethic, I know I am the leader Orlando needs to move us forward into the future.”

Eskamani, who has served in the Florida House of Representatives representing parts of Orlando since 2018, is term-limited from seeking re-election to the Florida House after winning a fourth and final term last month with 58 percent of the vote.

The Democrat has developed a reputation as a charismatic and vocal progressive in the state Legislature, regularly championing working-class issues and calling out corporate influence in politics. With her end in the Florida House on the horizon, Eskamani admitted she has been questioned about her next steps, and has been urged to run for statewide office.

She told Orlando Weekly in a phone call Monday, however, that she first seriously considered running for mayor after having a conversation in 2021 with incumbent Mayor Dyer, who confirmed to her that he planned to run again for office in 2023 and then retire after that. “As an Orlando local, born and raised and someone who calls the city home, I’ve always just seen the potential in and the importance of local leadership,” Eskamani shared.

Considered part of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Florida, Eskamani has taken a populist approach in state government that has managed to win her the support of constituents across party lines. At least two precincts in her district voted both for her and for Republican President-elect Donald Trump, she said.

“Everyone is struggling when it comes to wages,” Eskamani said. “Everyone is struggling when it comes to rent and the cost of housing, when it comes to groceries, when it comes to wanting good public schools and no traffic, or at least reduction in traffic, right? Like, these are issues that transcend party lines, and I’ve always championed those issues, and will continue to do so.”

In the Florida House, Eskamani successfully pushed to permanently eliminate a sales tax on diapers and adult incontinence products, and has proposed establishing measures to hold bad landlords accountable, tackle price-gouging, close corporate tax loopholes, bolster state protections and rights for workers and protect abortion access. Florida currently bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, but Eskamani has fought for legislation — and most recently, a ballot initiative that narrowly failed to pass — to restore abortion rights for Floridians.

Eskamani, 34, is also very present in Orlando, regularly making appearances across town at everything from meetings of the Mayor’s Veterans Advisory Council (for which she serves as a board member) to press events uplifting local workers, local markets highlighting small businesses, and live music shows at beloved venues such as Orlando’s Will’s Pub.

As a working-class daughter of immigrant parents, Eskamani grew up in the City Beautiful with her big brother Arya and twin sister Ida (who is, full disclosure, a freelancer for Orlando Weekly who writes about music). Eskamani is also a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she most recently earned her Ph.D. in public administration. Eskamani says Orlando is where she got her first job and discovered her purpose after losing her mom to cancer at the young age of 13.

Before her election to the Florida House, Eskamani worked at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida as its senior director. Today, aside from her job as an elected official (technically a part-time job, if you can believe it), Eskamani also works as a state advisor for NEO Philanthropy, a left-leaning social justice nonprofit, representing Florida.

She also holds several board positions — as a board member of Central Florida Community Arts and the Winter Park Playhouse, for instance — and has in the past served on the boards of the Orlando Gay Chorus — as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community — as well as organizations like the Equality Florida Action PAC and the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Florida.

Incumbent Dyer, who was re-elected mayor in 2023, has served as mayor for six consecutive four-year terms. Dyer, a former Senate Minority leader in the Florida Senate, has said his current term as mayor will be his last — although he hasn’t been entirely decisive when questioned.

Although the elected role of mayor is officially nonpartisan, Dyer is also a Democrat in what is well-known as one of Florida’s bluer cities. Eskamani is the only candidate who has announced a run for Orlando mayor in the next election.

But for her, getting an early start is important. “I’m not going to be raising money from the same places that the current administration raises money from, like, you know, big corporations and tourism industry and so forth,” Eskamani shared, candidly. “So when you run a grassroots campaign, the more time you have, the better. So I want to begin raising grassroots dollars immediately.”

Eskamani has already received early endorsements from local, state and federal elected officials including U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost (D-Florida), State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, newly elected Orange County School Board member Stephanie Vanos, State Attorney Monique Worrell and Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph.

Eskamani’s campaign website will be hosted at annafororlando.com, where she will also offer opportunities for supporters to donate and/or sign up to volunteer for her campaign. The website will also host an Orlando’s Future Survey, where city residents can share what they wish to see in Orlando’s future.

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This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2024.