Orlando state Rep. Anna Eskamani calls ad by opponent Jeremy Sisson ‘transphobic’
As the clock runs down on the race for an Orlando seat in the Florida House with a well-known Democratic incumbent, the Republican challenger is tailoring a round of ads specifically to men who believe in a “traditional worldview on marriage and family” and those who question“gender-fluidity.”
The mailers from candidate Jeremy Sisson in House District 47 were met with condemnation from Rep. Anna Eskamani, who called them “transphobic.”
“These are really personal issues that impact our constituents every single day,” said Eskamani, who also noted the district includes Pulse, the LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people died in a 2016 mass shooting. “Unfortunately, a lot of these issues we thought in our community were at least understood...it’s a reality that unfortunately some folks perpetuate dangerous rhetoric.”
In addition to a “traditional worldview on marriage and family," Sisson’s mailer also said he supports “shared parental responsibility” and “men not competing in women’s athletics.”
Some voters in the district received text messages from Sisson’s campaign, that read “Be vigilant and watch out for those who seek to work against you, simply because you are a man,” and others directing voters to visit a website set up by a political committee partially funded by Sisson.
He said Eskamani is too radical for the district and responded to questions about the mailer and his views with a two-paragraph statement.
“Anna V. Eskamani, uses the words racist, homophobic, queerphopic & transphobic more often than most people use the word THE,” Sisson said in an email. “These are simply dog-whistle words she uses to whip up the far progressive left into a frenzy. However, most people don’t want a radical legislator representing them. This year, however, they have a real choice on the ballot.”
Eskamani said her advocacy for LGBTQ people, including a call to ban the discrimination of gay students in private schools that receive public funding, falls in line with the values of the district that runs from Belle Isle and Holden Heights through downtown Orlando into Winter Park.
“First of all, caring about LGBTQ-plus people and fighting equality for everyone is not radical,” she said. “We’re talking about life and death issues, and that’s why I care about it and why our district cares about it.”
While voters were flooded with mail bashing Eskamani during her first run for office in 2018, this cycle has seen fewer attack ads. But Sisson’s campaign has sent out text messages and voicemails to voters in recent weeks and created a music video.
“Everything is grounded in lies and the fact that he doesn’t want to debate me is grounded in two things: One, he’s intimidated by me. And two, he doesn’t want us to talk about his [business] record,” she said, which includes a personal bankruptcy that was settled this summer.
In the race’s final weeks, Eskamani holds the money advantage with more than $400,000 raised between her campaign and affiliated political committee and $135,000 left to spend. Sisson has raised about $40,000, and has about $11,000 left to spend.
The district turned a deeper shade of blue in recent years. When Eskamani won in 2018, flipping the seat from Republicans, the Democrats had a 6,500-voter advantage. That edge has since climbed to more than 11,000.
rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com
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