Anna Eskamani is a state representative from Orlando, the first Iranian-American elected to office in Florida, and a candidate for mayor in 2027. Her parents — both Iranian immigrants — met by chance in a donut shop and made a life together in Orlando.
But as Anna’s city grows — it is among the fastest growing cities in America, with around 150,000 new residents in a single year — cracks in the social safety net are becoming more pronounced. Homelessness is up dramatically. Housing costs are skyrocketing. And people like her parents, who came here looking for a brighter future for their families, are finding life that much more difficult.
Anna is in a unique position, politically. She could be called a rising star, but after her tenure in the Florida statehouse, her advocacy against Alligator Alcatraz (which in no small way led to its closure), and her very obvious political instincts, it might be more apt to imagine her as a central figure in new Democratic roster of superstar candidates, among others like Congressman Maxwell Frost, also from Orlando, and her close friend.
Many expected her to run for national office or governor. Sam asked why mayor of Orlando was the right move for her right now, and her answer should give everyone fighting for democracy hope.
Check out the interview, and leave your thoughts in the comments.
