Former New Smyrna Beach municipal leader flanked by Tom Laputka, Bob Apgar and John Masiarczyk, respectively, at press conference
ORANGE CITY, Fla. -- Seeing is believing and in a show of solidarity, three of West Volusia's most prominent mayors stood with Congressional District 6 Republican candidate Adam Barringer at a press conference Monday outside the Dickinson Center in demonstrating their endorsement of the former New Smyrna Beach mayor and his quest to go to Washington as congressman: Tom Laputka of Orange City, Bob Apgar of DeLand and John Masiarczyk of Deltona.
And Barringer got right to it, thanking his former municipal colleagues for standing with him. “I’m honored to have the support of many of the mayors rhroughout Volusia County and in this new district.”
Barringer was referring to the redrawn Dec. 2 and approved by the Florida Supreme Court after six months of haggling in the State Legislature, istrict 6 boundary lines that put a premium on voting in Volusia County as well as Flagler Coumty a portion of Lake County and the shoreline of St. Johns County, but not the most populous city there in St. Augustine.
Barringer was the first candidate to announce back in June that he was running for the congressional seat after incumbent Ron DeSantis, R-St. Augustine, said he would not seek a third two-year term and instrad run for the US Senate seat that Marco Rubio is vacatihng at year's end as he makes a run for president. Back then, the 6th district was far more favorable to somewone luike DeSantis because the majority of the district's votes were centered on the St. Auguastine anmd Ponte Vedra areas.
And since included with re-districvting were the West Volusia Cities, in particular, Delrtona, Volusia County's most populous with 86,290 residents, as well as DeBary, Orange City and Lake Helen. And not to be taken for granted is unincorporrated Enterprise near the Deltona city limits, which has 43,323 residents.
And these West Volusia masyors made the commitment to Barringer some two monrths ago despite rumblings that State Re[p. David Santiago, R-Deltona, and a former Deltona city commissioner had let it be known he might jump into the race at som,e point.
Santaiago has said in recent days he'll likely announce in the next week or so that he's running for Congress as well. Especially since Sandy Adams, herself a one-term congresswoman susprenddd her campaign citing an unspecifiwd serious health issue that required her attention.
Adams was the second candidate to annoumce on the Republican side. The thrd was GG Galloway, a Realtor from Ormond Beach, who has never held nor run for public office before.
With Santiago getting closer to making a formal announcement, the show of support support for Barringer on Monday was huge.
And though the Orlando TV news crews didn't staff the press conferehnce at the Dickinson Center, print and internet news media outlewts showed up. Besides HeadlineSurfer.com, the Daytona Beach News-Journal sent a reporter, the weekly DeLand Beacon sent a photographer and The Orlando Political Observer, a blogsite, had a reporter here as well.