Joshua Sorto

Age: Editor’s note: If Oviedo Community News could not confirm the age for each candidate in a race, we omit the ages for all candidate in the race out of fairness.

Registered political party: Republican Party

Where they live: Sanlando Springs in Seminole County

Where they work: Owner of Sorto CPA

Prior work experience: Accounting (Audit Senior at BKHM CPAs, Audit Staff Accountant at Withum, Staff Accountant at a CPA Firm)

Prior political experience: Refused to disclose

Platform: “I am running as a conservative to keep government small, and empower Florida’s local governments.”

Why they are running, in three sentences: “I am running to reduce the cost of living. Fix our homeowner’s insurance crisis by bringing back the national insurance carriers. Pass aid to our farmers who lost crops during the cold winter freeze, and work grocery stores to solve the logistical problems of getting affordable, high quality food on the shelves. Ban Dynamic pricing.” 

Most recent campaign finance report: $3,000 in contributions

Endorsements: None to report

Campaign website

Fun fact about the candidate: Sorto says he watches anime. 

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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.

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

1. Unaffordable homeowner’s insurance; bring in the national insurance carriers.
2. Lower grocery bills: Solve the supply chain issues and help Florida farmers make food affordable again.
3. Affordability: Ban dynamic pricing before groceries start costing more on Sunday vs. Wednesday.

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?
The incumbent has been in office for four years and has sponsored zero bills on affordability. They literally haven’t even tried.

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?
It takes time to build homes, so in the short term we need to decrease the number of people moving to Florida. This could be done by putting a tax on people and using those funds to build more homes at affordable prices.

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?
No, I am against giving large corporations like Disney a tax cut. Any waste that occurs at the local level is peanuts compared to the waste, fraud and abuse coming from Tallahassee.

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?
Ban data center construction. There is no benefit to having a data center in your city versus having it 1,000 miles away.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida?
Keeping our coasts pristine and a major tourist destination

Do you agree with the current federal and state governments’ approaches to immigration enforcement? Why or why not?
I disagree with the sloppy execution, 70 U.S. citizens were deported by mistake, that’s unacceptable. Fix the procedures so we deport illegals, not U.S. citizens.

Editor’s note: Oviedo Community News follows the Associated Press StyleBook’s guidance to only attach labels to a behavior, not a person. We would normally change the use of the word “illegals” to “a person without legal permission” if it weren’t in a direct quote. We work to preserve exact Q&A language because they are meant to be a means of communication between the candidate the voter.”

Do you believe abortion restrictions in Florida should be more strict, less strict or stay the same?
I believe abortion laws in Florida should be decided by the voters via a constitutional amendment.

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?
Municipal governments, the local community and property owners need to reach a consensus on what their communities will look like 10 to 20 years from now. I do not believe the state has any role in influencing how developed a community should be.

Readers complained about roadway traffic in the community. What steps would you take to address this issue from the office that you’re seeking?
As a state representative I will work closely with county and city officials to give them the resources they need to make traffic better.

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 don’t support AI data centers in Florida. There is no benefit to having a Data center two miles away versus 1,000 miles away. Put them in a wasteland, or New Jersey.

How do you balance the idea of home rule when state lawmakers preempt decisions from local governments?
I am a small-government conservative. That means I favor giving more power to lower levels of government, closer to the people it governs.

Do you support the rural boundary in Seminole County? How do you balance that with private landowners’ rights to build?
Yes I support the rural boundary. Landowners must get permits for big construction projects to their property, this gives the private owner and the local government the opportunity to reach a consensus on what makes sense to build.