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Upholding and defending freedom. Those are the convictions that led Rich Santos to run for District 36 in Seminole County, Florida. From his grandfather, he learned the importance of a military career. He now has more than 32 years of military experience and that is why, after putting his life on the line for the welfare of America, he wants to be a voice for all citizens who stand up for American values.
“My ideals are simple: we do what the Constitution says (nothing more, nothing less), and we empower citizens to make decisions for themselves free from government interference. I believe in the ability of our citizens to do great things when given the opportunity, and when the government gets out of the way,” Santos said during a conversation with El American.
According to Santos, one of the big reasons that led him to run for the local legislature is the constant loss of freedoms that Americans suffer due to the increasing size and overreach of government.
“I have 32 years of military and law enforcement experience. I have served the citizens of this country and community on the battlefield and on the streets. I love this country, this community, and the people in it,” Santos said. “I spent 32 years sacrificing and risking my life for our Constitutional freedoms and it saddens me to see the government throwing our Constitutional freedoms away. I am running because I believe all citizens deserve to live, work, and worship in freedom, security, and opportunity free from the government overreach,” he says.
This Tuesday, August 23, Santos will have a chance to try to make it to the state legislature when the primary for the 36th District takes place, where he must beat Republican candidates Angelique Perry and Rachel Plakon.
In interview with El American, Santos praised Governor Ron DeSantis, but criticized the state legislature for its inability to offer solutions to Floridians.
“In Florida, we have a great governor in Governor DeSantis. We also have a 65% majority in the FL House and a 60% majority in the Senate, yet we can not conduct the business of the state effectively and inefficiently. The Legislature is in a place where they have to be forced by the Governor to order them back to Tallahassee simply to do their jobs,” said Santos.
Not your establishment candidate
Born in Puerto Rico, Rich Santos says he is committed to working for the welfare of Hispanics in the United States. He assures that he is proud of his origins, but without forgetting that he is just as proud to be an American.
“I can offer the perspective of a native-born Hispanic (Puerto Rican), and I can offer hope. When I say that I understand what Hispanics go through, it will because I have been through it all myself. I share the pride of our Hispanic culture, and the pride of being an American.”
Politically, Santos is a full-fledged conservative: he defends the right to bear arms, opposes abortion, and unequivocally respects democratic-republican institutions.
“I believe in Constitutional Carry and believe every citizen deserves to be able to protect themselves. I want our children safe in schools,” said Santos, who also commented that he wants “citizens to be free to raise and educate their children as they see fit.”
Moreover, unlike her main opponent, Plakon, who has already had experience in political life as the wife of state Rep. Scott Plakon, Santos is an outsider. He is not part of Florida’s political establishment. He is, in effect, an ordinary citizen looking to do his bit for his district.
A citizen who claims to know what the problems of the everyday American are and would, therefore, be an ally of Floridians as a representative.
“I want us to be safe. I have the hands-on experience and I know what works and what doesn’t. I want us to be free. I will oppose any efforts at any level to restrict any of the Constitutional rights of my constituents,” Rich Santos told El American.
Rich Santos at Paint the Trump (Facebook)
Rich Santos: GOP needs to get organized and have a memory
In his career, Santos has learned to be close to citizens. He describes himself as a simple high school soccer coach, an active church member, a husband, and a father of six. Santos has no doubt that he loves his state, Florida, as well as America, and insists that it is necessary to be concerned about what is wrong with the country and offer solutions to get it back on track.
Santos said that within the Republican Party there are several leaders who inspire him in his political career: “Ron Paul, Ronald Reagan, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump.”
When asked about the current situation of the country’s traditional parties, in a historic moment where traditional leadership is being displaced by alternative figures, Santos said he is concerned about the disorganization within the GOP. Santos admits his party has neglected some of its historic values that today are fundamental to take care of America. He insists that the Republican Party must recover its memory.
“The Republican Party is in disarray. We have forgotten our core values of adherence to the Constitution, limited government, personal liberty, and we have involved ourselves unnecessarily in foreign entanglements. We have forgotten the common man, and I am here to represent the common man.”
However, Santos also said he is “not going to lose hope” with the GOP, “I won’t give up hope, because I have faith in my fellow Republicans that, given the right leadership, we can return our party to its former glory.”
On the Democratic Party, Santos was even blunter. “It has become a party of radicals, social justice warriors, and those who believe it is the government’s job to run our lives,” he estimates.
Sometimes it is not common to see citizens get fully involved in politics. Rich Santos decided to give it a try, showing a fresh face, akin to the ideas that made the United States the most prosperous and free country in the world. Will this ex-military man, soccer coach, and family man be able to make it to the Florida state legislature?
Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón is a journalist at El American specializing in the areas of American politics and media analysis // Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón es periodista de El American especializado en las áreas de política americana y análisis de medios de comunicación.
Contacto: [email protected]
Williams Perdomo es periodista y escritor, especializado en las fuentes Política y Cultura.