Miami
FLORIDA Natalie Milian Orbis backs Jesus Tundidor in Florida House District 112 race
The Miami-Dade Commissioner joined the former Hialeah Council President’s campaign for the upcoming Special Election. Florida Politics reported she is the first County Commissioner to publicly endorse him.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis has endorsed Jesus Tundidor in the pending Special Election for Florida House District 112, according to Florida Politics.
The outlet reported that Milian Orbis is the first County Commissioner to back the former Hialeah Council President, who has now collected seven notable endorsements since entering the race on Sept. 18.
Milian Orbis represents Commission District 6, which includes Miami Springs, Virginia Gardens, and parts of Hialeah and Miami, areas that overlap with HD 112. Florida Politics said her rationale for the endorsement highlighted Miami International Airport and nearby development, including Nu Stadium, Inter Miami’s home at Miami Freedom Park, which opened in April.
According to the report, both Milian Orbis and Tundidor framed economic development, infrastructure investment, and support for local businesses as key priorities for the area.
Florida Politics noted that lawmakers included $5 million in this year’s budget for a new road and sidewalks into Miami Freedom Park at Northwest 37th Avenue and 17th Street, and that Gov. Ron DeSantis did not veto the funding.
Milian Orbis, a Republican, was appointed to the County Commission in May 2025 on a 9-3 vote after Kevin Marino Cabrera left to become U.S. Ambassador to Panama during President Donald Trump’s administration, Florida Politics reported. She later won a full four-year term in June without opposition.
Tundidor, a healthcare executive and lifelong Hialeah resident, served on the Hialeah City Council from 2019 until January, including a term as Council President. He also finished second in last November’s Hialeah mayoral race, which Bryan Calvo won outright, according to Florida Politics.
The outlet listed previous endorsements for Tundidor from incoming House leader Mike Redondo, Miami-Dade School Board member Dan Espino, Miami Commissioner Rolando Escalona, Virginia Gardens Mayor Spencer Deno, Miami Springs Mayor Walter Fajet, and the South Florida Police Benevolent Association.
The seat is open because Hialeah Republican Rep. Alex Rizo, who won another term without opposition in June, is now running for Senate District 39. That opening followed Bryan Ávila’s August resignation to run for Lieutenant Governor on Byron Donalds’ ticket, Florida Politics added.
HD 112 covers most of Hialeah, along with Miami Springs, Virginia Gardens, and part of Miami. No other candidates have announced, and DeSantis has not yet called either the House or Senate Special Election, according to Florida Politics.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
