Residents of state House District 46 will see three familiar names when they look at their ballots for Nov. 3 election — because they’re the same candidates who ran two years ago.
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Freshman Democratic Rep. Jose Alvarez is seeking a second term and again faces Republican Michael Cruz and nonpartisan candidate Ivan Rivera.
Alvarez won in 2024 with 57% of the vote, followed by Cruz at 39.6% and Rivera at 3.4%. In the Aug. 18 Democratic primary election he got 66% of the vote in a contest with Robert LeWayne Johnson, who also was in a four-way race with Alvarez for the party nomination two years ago.
The district, which covers a portion of northwest Osceola that includes Kissimmee, Poinciana and St. Cloud, along with a small section of Orange County, has an electorate skews heavily to the left.
Democrats have 42% of registered voters while Republicans account for about 21%, according to state records.LOL
Alvarez, a real estate broker, is a former Kissimmee mayor and city commissioner. During the Biden administration he was appointed regional administrator overseeing the Southeast and Caribbean for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
He said in a second term he wants to build on successes from his first by continuing to focus on priorities including affordable housing, healthcare and public safety.
He cited his sponsorship of the Housing for Veterans Bill to reduce homelessness by incentivizing landlords to rent to veterans; a bill funding “vertiports” for electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, known colloquially as “flying cars”; and a bill adding a recall process to elected community development boards.
But Alvarez said he expects what voters statewide decide in November on Amendment 3 will have major implications for what happens in the legislative session starting in March.
If approved by 60% of voters, it would create a $150,000 tax exemption on primary, “homesteaded” homes in 2027, rising to a $250,000 exemption in 2028.
It would also restrict what local governments spend the tax revenue on, only allowing for expenditures on core services such as public safety, education, infrastructure, flood control and retirement benefits for local government employees.
Alvarez said he doesn’t support Amendment 3 because of how it could impact local governments’ budgets. He said its backers in the Legislature could not explain how governments would offset the lost revenue.
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“The only answer was, ‘Municipalities will figure it out’,” he said. “What’s going to happen is local governments coming to the statehouse begging for funding to provide services to our constituents.”
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Cruz, an Army veteran and longtime Kissimmee real estate broker, does support Amendment 3 and what he said was the needed tax relief it will provide homeowners.
“I could tell you how many times people come to my office, wanting to sell their property because all they have is Social Security and are limited income, but they can’t pay their property taxes,” he said.
“I think a lot comes out to how the cities and counties should budget their expenses,” Cruz added. “If they budget their funds right it shouldn’t be a problem. They’re overspending.”
While Florida sheriffs and police and fire unions have come out against it, he said the language of the amendment safeguards spending on vital services including fire and police, as well as education.
Cruz said other priorities include addressing property insurance costs along with traffic and infrastructure issues stemming from the region’s growth and development.
In addition to his business experience, he said his community involvement, including helping the area’s homeless population, would serve him well representing the district.
“Why vote for me? It’s a different mindset. I’m not here to be a politician for 30 or 40 more years, I just want to be able to help the community,” Cruz said.
Attempts to reach Rivera by email, phone and text message were not successful. The Kissimmee resident does not appear to have a campaign website. An online search shows he is a family medicine physician at Poinciana Medical Clinic in Kissimmee. He is making his third consecutive bid for this House seat.
According to the latest campaign finance information from the state’s Division of Elections, Alvarez has far outraised the others at $89,555 ($5,000 from a loan), of which he’s spent $76,469.05; Cruz has raised $5,030 ($2,143.05 from loans) and spent $2,181.10; and Rivera has raised $2,000 and spent $1,187.58
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