ORLANDO – Following successes for the Democratic Party in Orange County that were overshadowed by failures across the rest of the state that allowed for the presumptive election of television and real-estate icon Donald Trump to the presidency, new party leadership fell in line among the locals.
“One of the big things for me is that we build relationships with people,” Wes Hodge, who identifies as gay, says after his victory over Democratic operative Lonnie Thompson. “I feel like we neglected or took advantage of some of the relationships in the community, and I want to make sure that we have an open dialogue.”
Hodge has some momentum behind him. Orange County Democrats knocked doors just enough to go blue for Hillary Clinton, gain two congressional seats, a state senate seat for Linda Stewart and a new Democratic County Commissioner in Emily Bonilla, among others. But that momentum has its challenges.
“Six months ago, we weren’t talking about access to mental health services and gun control. That tragedy completely changed the conversation politically about what’s important to our citizens,” he says.
In related news, Donald Trump employee and devotee Randy Ross lost his bid to oust longtime Orange County Republican Executive Committee chair Lew Oliver.
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