Focus is on public service, conservative family values
A Miami-Dade firefighter who is running for state representative in District 115, released his first campaign video ad Wednesday titled “Ready to Protect.” Capt. Omar Blanco‘s 30-second spot focuses on the candidate’s service as a firefighter and his conservative Republican credentials.
“As a firefighter, I’ve always been ready to protect our community. Now, I’m ready to fight for you and your family and stand up to the radical left’s agenda,” Blanco says in a recording over images of him in uniform, him wearing a crucifix, him in a photo with Donald Trump and then grabbing his firefighter’s helmet with a photo of his family in it.
“I’m a proud Republican, standing with President Trump, fighting for family values and protecting our freedoms. Just as I’ve kept you safe, I will fight to protect you as your state representative.
Read related: Miami-Dade Fire Captain Omar Blanco runs for office again, in FL House 115
“I’m a firefighter, conservative and family man,” he says at the end — as he walks in the middle of the street. Safety first, Cap!
“This video shows who I am as a firefighter and someone who has been proud to protect and keep Floridians safe for over 23 years,” Blanco said in a statement. “Now, I’m ready to take that same commitment and public service to Tallahassee and fight for our families and values.
“I’m excited to share my vision with the voters of District 115.”
What vision is that? No detail except to work against the radical left agenda. The issues he’s identified on his website are the standard staples of a GOP campaign: property insurance rates, parental rights in education, keeping taxes low, public safety and protecting seniors. Typical. But no details on how he plans to address the rising costs of property insurance or protect people de la tercera edad.
The ad, available now on YouTube and coming soon to a local TV channel near you, comes a week before mail-in or absentee ballots are sent to local voters July 11 (they are sent to overseas voters on Friday).
Blanco is running to replace State Rep. Alina Garcia, who resigned to run for Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections. She does not have a primary, but Blanco does. There are two other Republicans for the 115 seat on the Aug. 20 ballot.
Both are long shots.
Read related: Tampa transplant candidate for HD 115 is registered to vote at Senator’s home
Moises Benhabib is a former U.S. State Department foreign affairs officer who has loaned himself $50,000 and raised almost $7,000 for this race. He’s completely unknown and not much of a threat to the 20-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue department and former president of the firefighters union, whose wife is a 15-year public school teacher.
Alian Collazo, who once worked to get Joe Biden to speak at Florida International University, shouldn’t be a threat because he’s not really from here, he’s not really Republican and he’s not really into this. He was almost surely prompted to run by Sen. Alexis Calatayud. Collazo, a Tampa transplant, registered to vote in February with Calatayud’s home address.
Blanco is the obvious frontrunner. He’s been a first responder, not a politician, for more than two decades and. But he has experience in Tallahassee. As a labor leader, he helped get the 2019 firefighter cancer coverage bill passed, fighting with his own party to do so, which might be why they’re running the unknown transplant, Collazo.
Read related: Caught playing politics, Jose Oliva pivots on firefighter cancer bill
He also built name recognition during his 2020 run for congress against Carlos Gimenez. He lost with only 41% of the vote. But 16,583 people chose him in a district that overlaps with the House 115 district. That’s more votes than Benhabib and Collazo have ever gotten, because, well, they’ve never run before.
If those same people stick with Blanco, he’ll have a good head start to win the primary and slide into the House seat because the district is hard red. Whoever wins the Republican primary will very likely win the general in November.
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State House 115 candidate, firefighter Omar Blanco drops first video ad added by Ladra on
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