Age: 61
Party: Republican
Campaign website: martinezforcongress.com
Residence: Orlando
Political background: Business owner in first candidacy
Local board/agency background: Central Florida Foundation, St. James Cathedral Finance Council, Winter Park, East Orange, Orlando Chambers of Commerce, Give Kids the World.
Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race were asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.
If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?
School choice and parental rights: Expand plans for parents to choose schools for their kids. Get rid of the Department of Education and allow states and parents to have more of a voice on the school curriculum. Ensure that all schools teach reading, writing, math, science and history rather than gender or political ideology.
Affordability: reducing high cost of living due to government overspending – reduce government spending and cap increases. Limit the negative effect of over regulation and taxes on small businesses. Address the insurance crisis in Florida.
Immigration Reform: Deal with passing and adjusting legislation on DACA, passing the FACE Act.
According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?
Housing affordability can be addressed by reducing the impact fees (taxes) that municipalities are putting on home building. Also address issues with insurance and insurance availability. Lastly reduce the fees and other hidden costs related to home ownership and home acquisition.
Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes, and explain your position.
Yes (no further explanation was given)
Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond?
Data centers that are built need to be in extremely rural areas that do not affect residential or farmlands. We also need them to be self-sufficient when it comes to power generation and water needs. Clean energy like solar, natural gas and the use of new nuclear mini power stations will help to ensure that our utility bills don’t increase.
What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida?
The preservation of our wetlands and waterways. The natural beauty of Florida is accentuated by those issues. The persistent problem with the runoff from Lake Okeechobee and its effect on the Everglades, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. The issue with red tide and seaweed growth are directly related to that.
What is the single biggest issue the government should address when it comes to public education in Florida?
School choice. Let’s give all families the choice to determine where their kids go to school. Low-income families are most affected by the lack of choice. Wealthy families have the means to choose. Why don’t all families have the same choice?
This Voters Guide was produced by the News Collaborative of Central Florida, a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida.