A business executive and political newcomer has filed to run against Orlando-area state Rep. Carolina Amesti, whose credentials and conduct at her family’s university have been questioned.
Leonard Spencer of Gotha filed Wednesday to run against Mr. Amestee in the Florida state election, advocating for lower insurance rates, restoring abortion rights and improving access to mental health care.
“Those are some of the reasons why I think I’m a great candidate and can represent the 45th District in Tallahassee,” Spencer said.
Spencer, a Democrat and first-time candidate for public office, is so far the only opponent to announce his candidacy against Amestee, a Republican who is completing his first term. If no other candidates emerge by next month’s qualification deadline, the two will face off in the Nov. 5 general election.
They will be vying to represent a district that includes much of western Orange County, including Disney World, and parts of northern Osceola County. Republicans have a slight edge in voter registration in this district, with 35% of eligible voters. Democrats, on the other hand, make up 31% of voters in the district.
Spencer, 52, joined The Walt Disney Company in 2005, moving to Central Florida where she started as a senior financial analyst and worked there for more than 15 years as director of supplier diversity and sustainability. Since 2021, she has been senior manager of supplier engagement at Amazon.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alabama.
Amesti, 29, has been the subject of two Orlando Sentinel investigations over the past year. The first detailed how the freshman lawmaker’s family-owned college and closed fast-food restaurant were behind on taxes and utility bills, how she didn’t tell the truth about her business success when she ran for office in 2022, and how the university misrepresented itself when it claimed on its website that it had Ivy League-educated professors.
A second article published in March revealed that Amestee, in her role as an administrator at her family’s university, certified the employment documents of a man who claims he did not sign the documents. In a signed affidavit sent to the Sentinel in January, Amestee said he saw the man sign the document on the day he certified it, but three handwriting experts the Sentinel consulted for the story People say the signature on the employment document is probably not his.
State officials are investigating whether Amestey violated Florida’s notary law after readers filed complaints based on the Sentinel’s reporting.
Amesty frequently touted her role as vice president of Central Christian during her first run for Florida Congress, but is no longer an employee of the company, her lawyer told the Sentinel earlier this year.
anmartin@orlandosentinel.com
