Incumbent Santiago challenged by newcomer Smith for Polk County commission seat
Incumbent Republican Polk County Commission Chair Martha Santiago will face off with Democratic challenger Markeishia Smith on Nov. 8 for the District 4 seat.
District 4 is located in the fast-growing northeast area of Polk County, covering sections of east Winter Haven, Haines City, Davenport, Lake Hamilton, Loughman, Four Corners and Poinciana.
Neither Santiago nor Smith faced a challenger in the primary. And while the winner will represent District 4, voters countywide will decide the race.
Santiago, 67, runs Leadership Consultant, LLC in Winter Haven. She grew up in the Bronx neighborhood in New York City and later moved to Puerto Rico with her parents after her graduating from high school.
In Puerto Rico she attended college and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She came to Florida in 1980, and later received a master’s degree in education from Florida International University and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of South Florida.
Santiago, who has served on the Polk commission for the past four years, worked as the Provost for Polk State College before retiring in 2017. She also held positions at the college as the dean of academic affairs, as well as positions as principals at various schools within the Polk County School District.
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Markeishia Smith is from Haines City
Smith, 41, of Haines City is an attorney who grew up in Lake Hamilton, Haines City and Lake Wales. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in English, Nova Southeastern University with a degree in Educational Leadership and FAMU College of Law with a Juris Doctorate.
Smith also worked for Polk Schools as a principal at Snively Elementary School. Currently, she runs her own law firm, The Law Offices of Markeishia L. Smith. Her firm practices in the areas of personal injury law, probates and real estate closings.
If re-elected Santiago says she wants to prioritize safety and security, economic development, fiscal responsibility and infrastructure.
In terms of public safety, she wants to keep “working to make sure people are not only safe, but that they also feel safe. Ensuring that our sheriff has the resources needed to combat crime and continue seeing a decline in criminal activities.”
Santiago’s goals for economic development include adding more jobs.
“Our people need to stay in Polk County and work," she said. "It is important to bring quality and high paying jobs to Polk County for our citizens.
Santiago listed endorsements from Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, BusinessVoice – Chamber of Lakeland, Builders Association of Polk County, East Polk County Association of Realtors and the Polk County Farm Bureau.
Smith said her priorities are planned and strategic growth, improved housing, economic development, and safety and mental health.
“I would work to ensure that our comprehensive plan is forward thinking and addresses growth in Polk County, worker shortages in retail, construction, government and other, affordable housing, transportation issues, infrastructure, garbage pickup and environmental issues,” she said. "In that plan I would work to provide a balanced and responsible approach to growth."
“Development in our county is good because it creates an opportunity to build a strong relationship between our county government and the citizens we serve," she added. "However, this development has to be smart and strategic with forward thinking in order to really fit the needs of Polk County."
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Smith lists endorsements from Democratic Florida House Rep. Michelle Rayner-Goolsby of District 70, the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and prominent civil rights attorney Daryl Parks.
According to the Polk County Supervisor of Elections, campaign contributions reported as of Oct. 14 show, Smith has $23,954 compared to Santiago who has $112,625.
In total expenditures, however, the candidates are closer with Smith having spent $16,773 to Santiago’s $18,149.
Paul Nutcher can be reached at pnutcher@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk commission race: Markeishia Smith challenges Martha Santiago
