Marialana Kinter

Age: 28

Where they live: UCF area

Where they work: UCF student and full-time candidate.

Prior work experience: Naval Nuclear Reactor Supervisor and Nuclear Field Liaison

Prior political experience: None to report though active in many local political groups.

Platform: “Restoring trust in our government through radical transparency, and policy decisions that center Central Floridians rather than corporate or foreign military interests”. Key tenants of her platform are addressing the affordability crisis, protecting veterans’ rights, overturning Citizens United and empowering the working class, securing energy independence, reforming the immigration system, and protecting the civil liberties of all residents of the United States.

Why they are running: Kinter did not respond to a request for comment. 

Most recent campaign finance report: $509,540.66 in contributions, with $178 from the candidate, according to Federal Elections Commission data as of July 27.

Endorsements: Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption, and more to be announced soon.

Candidate website

Fun fact about the candidate: Marialana is a proud aunt and dog parent.

---

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race were asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

Top problem and your suggested solution:
The cost of living. Combating the economic squeeze our working class is facing by investing in American trade jobs, strengthening Social Security, expanding voluntary full-day pre-K options, and breaking up the corporate monopolies driving small businesses under.

Problem 2 and your suggested solution:
Restoring government accountability. Corruption and corporate capture have made the government unresponsive to the people. I am bringing a “Zero-Fail” standard to Washington, which includes term limits, a ban on congressional stock trading and an aggressive effort to overturn Citizens United to get big money out of politics.

Problem 3 and your suggested solution:
Stopping overdevelopment and data centers. The housing crisis is driven by corporate investors and a lack of supply for working families. I will sponsor the Stop Predatory Investing Act to ban hedge funds from buying single-family homes, and I support increasing federal investment in the National Housing Trust Fund to expand rental assistance and incentivize the construction of affordable starter homes for primary residents.

For incumbents: Why do you deserve re-election to this race? For challengers and open seats: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race?
I am not a career politician. I am a Navy veteran and a working class advocate. I have spent my life overcoming the same obstacles as the people of FL-07, from the foster system to the nuclear reactor plant, and I know that true leadership requires accountability. I am beholden to the people, not corporate PACs. We deserve a representative that works from sunrise to sunset to deliver results and improve the conditions of the lives of Floridians.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?
Beyond local zoning, this is a national failure. I support federal legislation to prevent corporate entities from monopolizing the single-family home market. We must prioritize a federal reinsurance backstop to stabilize the homeowners insurance market, stop corporate entities from buying up residential property and invest in union and trade jobs to grow our local economy.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes, and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions?
I am generally skeptical of slashing property taxes through state-level constitutional amendments if they are not paired with a sustainable plan to protect essential services like public schools and first responders. I would need to see the specific language to ensure it does not unfairly shift the tax burden onto renters and first-time homebuyers.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? 

We cannot allow big tech energy-intensive data centers to hike the electric bills of our families. Regulators must require data centers to pay their full, uncapped share of infrastructure costs and meet strict sustainability mandates so their energy demand does not degrade service or raise prices for the public. I support a moratorium on data centers to stop building and a complete ban of building on protected natural spaces until a complete and thorough investigation and study of the environmental and economic impacts is conducted.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida?
Water security, quality and protecting the rural boundary are the most pressing issues. Our aquifers and springs are under constant pressure from overdevelopment and pollution, and protecting our natural resources is a necessity for Florida’s long-term economic and human survival. I will fight to protect the rural boundary through federal incentives that make our nature preserves and green spaces protected on a federal level to prevent industrial and developer encroachment.

Do you agree with the current federal and state governments’ approaches to immigration enforcement? Why or why not?
No. The current approach is chaotic and an inefficient use of massive amounts of American tax dollars. We need a system that keeps our nation secure, boosts national security and borders, and efficiently manages American tax dollars without sacrificing the American values of equality, justice and compassion. This means investing in technology and personnel at ports of entry, investing in the approval and denial process so people receive rejections or acceptances in a timely manner.

Do you believe abortion restrictions in Florida should be more strict, less strict or stay the same?
Less strict. Reproductive healthcare decisions belong to patients and their trained medical doctors, not to politicians.

Readers shared concerns about overdevelopment in the Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs community. We know that local municipalities must allow for density based on state population projections. What can be done at the state level to balance property owners’ rights and the desires of your constituents?
I support empowering local communities to have a stronger voice in development decisions, ensuring that state population growth is met with infrastructure that preserves the quality of life, rather than just maximizing profit for developers. This includes protecting our rural boundary and stopping data centers from ruining our local landscape.

Readers complained about roadway traffic in the community. What steps would you take to address this issue from the office that you’re seeking?
We need smarter investment in regional transit and public infrastructure that moves people rather than just moving cars. I would advocate for federal grants specifically targeting relief for our most congested corridors and supporting the development of a more connected regional network.

Do you support AI data centers being built in the community. Why or why not? What would you do to curtail or incentivize their development?
I am not a fan. Coming from nuclear power, I am a very numbers and proof-based individual. We need a stop on data center developments until there is a complete analysis on the environmental, water, and economic impacts of data center builds. We need to ensure Florida’s resources are for Floridians living here, not for billionaire profits.

How do you balance the idea of home rule when state lawmakers preempt decisions from local governments?
I am a fierce defender of home rule. State lawmakers should not be preempting local decisions from across the state. Our local leaders are the most accountable to the people affected by these decisions.

Do you support the rural boundary in Seminole County? How do you balance that with private landowners’ rights to build?
Yes. Protecting Seminole County rural character is vital to our community quality of life and environmental health. We must respect the will of the voters who established these boundaries and block attempts by corporate developers to override local protections.