Santoro Switches to State Senate Race
Wednesday, 09 April 2008 17:43 | 
Written by Steven J Burden | 
After discussions with Republican Party leaders in Miami-Dade County, RLCer Dean Santoro has decided to drop his bid for the U.S. Congress and run instead for the State Senate District 35 in Miami. As a result, he avoids a primary fight and enters the race with a GOP unified behind him.
Santoro announced the switch at a Miami press conference on April 3 in the Opera parking lot at 245 NE 14th Street, across from the Carnival Performing Arts Center and the Miami-Dade Board of Education building. RLC'ers and other Santoro supporters attended and held supportive signs.
Santoro said that with the entry of former Hialeah mayor Raul Martinez into the race against Lincoln-Diaz Balart, the dynamic of the race had changed.
While I have significant differences with Diaz-Balart, I certainly have more in common with him than Martinez,” Santoro said. “I don’t want the democrats to use me against him. I believe it is better for Florida, the Republican party and for me to seek a different office.
Party leaders recruited him instead for the open State Senate seat district 35. Due to term limits, entrenched incumbent Sen. Gwen Margolis cannot run again. Santoro will face state Rep. Dan Gelber in the general election, who is term-limited out of the House.
Gelber, currently Democratic minority leader in the House, thundered against budget cuts at a press conference March 27 calling for tax increases or dipping into reserves to keep spending soaring in spite of a slowing economy and lower state revenues.
Santoro is a Connecticut-born third-generation American with Italian roots now living in Miami. The MBA-educated computer specialist founded and sold his technology consulting firm and is now a technology manager for an international retailer and host of a weekly podcast and radio show. Dean is organizer of the RLC Meetup of Miami-Dade County.
For more info on Santoro’s race, go here. To join the Miami-Dade RLC Meetup, go here.
The Executive Committee of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida endorsed Santoro for the State Senate at the April 24, 2008 Board Meeting.
Dean speaking at a Ron Paul for President Ralley on January 24th, 2008
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