I came to East Orlando when I was a child, as my parents escaped political persecution and authoritarianism. My family arrived with very little, but with a belief in the promise of America. My dad worked at the airport washing cars. My mom worked long shifts at McDonald’s. Money was tight, and getting by was often a challenge.

What made the difference for my family was that America still believed in a basic promise: If you worked hard, there was a safety net to help you move forward. I attended Colonial High School, worked hard, and graduated as valedictorian. That path took me to Princeton University on a full scholarship and later to Oxford University, where I earned a master’s degree in public policy. A kid from a working, middle class family was given a fair shot.

I chose to come back home. Here in Orlando, I built a career as a nonprofit leader, became the youngest chair of the Orange County Democratic Party and bought a home. I am committed to giving back to the community that gave me a shot.

That is the American Dream. Today, unfortunately, that dream feels out of reach for too many Floridians.

For 30 years, one-party Republican rule in Tallahassee has allowed our state to put politics and culture wars ahead of Floridians’ real needs. The result is a state where costs keep rising, public schools are weakened, and families are being separated.

Health care is becoming more expensive as federal ACA subsidies are ending. Florida still refuses to expand Medicaid, leaving hundreds of thousands of working people without coverage. And thus, families delay care, emergency rooms are overwhelmed, and costs rise for everyone.

Seniors on fixed incomes and working families are forced to make impossible choices. Property insurance rates continue to climb, pushing longtime residents out of homes they have lived in for decades. Grocery prices continue to increase, and new tariffs threaten to drive them even higher. Utility bills have surged with some of the largest electric rate increases in state history.

Public education is also under strain. Florida’s rapid expansion of voucher programs is draining funding from public schools while failing to adequately support private ones. School districts are being forced into painful decisions that hurt students and families.

In Orange County, seven public schools are closing and/or being consolidated. I recently visited McCoy Elementary and listened to parents worry about where their children will go, how long their commutes will be, and whether they will still receive the support they need. Chickasaw Elementary, where my sister went to school, is also closing.

Immigrant families like mine are also living with fear. More than one million Floridians who were here legally through programs like Temporary Protected Status or DACA now face the risk of deportation. These families are deeply rooted in our communities and essential to our workforce. When people live in fear, labor shortages grow, businesses suffer, and local economies weaken.

These outcomes are not inevitable. They are the result of political choices, choices made over three decades of Republican control that have left Florida more expensive, less secure, and more divided.

In 2026, Florida can choose a better path. We can elect leaders who focus on lowering costs for working families, strengthening public schools, expanding access to health care, and ensuring communities are not living in fear.

Here in Orange County, I am proud that the Democratic Party has recruited leaders who are ready to meet this moment. They are educators, nonprofit leaders, parents, and public servants who are prepared to deliver in Tallahassee with urgency and purpose.

I know what is possible when we invest in people because I am a product of that investment. The American Dream is not a thing of the past, but it requires leaders who believe opportunity should be expanded and that progress comes from lifting people up.

Florida can be a place where hard work is rewarded, where families can afford to live, and where children have a real shot at success.

That future is within reach. In 2026, we get to choose it.

Samuel Vilchez Santiago is the Chair of the Orange County Democratic Party and a Member of the Democratic National Committee.