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Michael Cantu (Florida)
Michael Cantu (Republican Party) ran for election to the Florida House of Representatives to represent District 26. Cantu lost in the Republican primary on August 28, 2018.
Cantu completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Cantu was a 2016 Republican candidate for District 26 of the Florida House of Representatives.
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Florida House of Representatives District 26
Elizabeth Fetterhoff defeated incumbent Patrick Henry in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 26 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Elizabeth Fetterhoff (R) | 50.0 | 30,610 |
 | Patrick Henry (D) | 50.0 | 30,549 | |
| Total votes: 61,159 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Patrick Henry defeated Percy Williamson in the Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 26 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patrick Henry | 67.3 | 8,946 |
| Percy Williamson | 32.7 | 4,346 | ||
| Total votes: 13,292 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 26
Elizabeth Fetterhoff defeated Michael Cantu in the Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 26 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Elizabeth Fetterhoff | 50.4 | 5,746 |
 | Michael Cantu | 49.6 | 5,665 | |
| Total votes: 11,411 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.
Patrick Henry defeated Michael Cantu in the Florida House of Representatives District 26 general election.[1][2]
| Florida House of Representatives, District 26 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Patrick Henry |
52.90% | 35,930 | |
| Republican | Michael Cantu | 47.10% | 31,991 | |
| Total Votes | 67,921 | |||
| Source: Florida Division of Elections | ||||
Patrick Henry defeated Steve Miller in the Florida House of Representatives District 26 Democratic primary.[3][4]
| Florida House of Representatives, District 26 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Patrick Henry |
60.18% | 6,549 | |
| Democratic | Steve Miller | 39.82% | 4,333 | |
| Total Votes | 10,882 | |||
Michael Cantu ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 26 Republican primary.[3][4]
| Florida House of Representatives, District 26 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Michael Cantu (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. Incumbent Dwayne Taylor was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Michael Cantu was unopposed in the Republican primary. Taylor defeated Cantu in the general election.[5][6]
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Michael Cantu completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cantu's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Economy Education Water Issues
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I believe that Commomn Core is a disaster for our children, and we need to get back to the basics of education.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
President Trump. I believe that his instincts on the economy and foreign policy are dead on the money.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
Everyone should read 1984 by George Orwell, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Liberal Fascism, by Jonah Goldberg. These books are a dim prognostication of our future if we do not preserve our individual freedom.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Honesty, Intergity, work ethic, intelligence, determination and a clear understanding of the issues.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
All of the qualities listed above.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
To deliver policy changes that will directly benefit the residents of their district and state in general.
What legacy would you like to leave?
To know that I contributed to the quality of life for every individual that I encountered.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
I was in the 4th grade when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Selling TV Guides and I worked there for several months. I was 10 years old.
What happened on your most awkward date?
We were at the drive in and I almost choked to death on a popcorn kernel. It blocked my windpipe and I couldn't breathe.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Christmas because it is a season of cheer, giving and brotherhood.
What is your favorite book? Why?
1984 by George Orwell, because it is a reminder of the looming tyranny that waits like a wolf outside our door to devour liberty.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Superman
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My guitar because I like to play.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Don't Stop Believing by Journey
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Life is a struggle, but we adapt and overcome.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
No. Some of the best politicians are people that had never previously held office before. President Trump never held public office and I believe that he will go down in history as one of the greatest Presidents of all time.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
Water and environmental issues.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?
To be on the same page politically.
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
Absolutely, because relationships are essential to. build support for your legislation.
Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?
Possibly
Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
I met a lady who was in the WACs during World War II who went to the SS office for help because she was having a hard time financially, and they offered her 15 dollars a month extra in food stamps. I found this unacceptable. This woman served our country and was tossed aside like an old shoe. These are the kind of things that we need to change in our society.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2014
Cantu's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[7]
Economy
- Excerpt: "The success of small and medium-sized businesses have historically had the greatest impact on any economy and been key to job growth!"
Taxes and Spending
- Excerpt: "The more you tax a People, the less money they have to spend."
Government Overreach
- Excerpt: "Getting government out of the way is key to truly having a free society where people have the opportunity to innovate, enjoy life, and the fruits of their labor in their pursuit of happiness."
Local Control of Education
- Excerpt: "Local and parental control of education is necessary for there to be a cultured and highly learned society."
See also
- Florida House of Representatives
- Florida House of Representatives District 26
- Florida House of Representatives elections, 2014
- Florida House of Representatives elections, 2016
- Florida House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Florida State Legislature
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Florida State Legislature
- Official campaign website
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Michael Cantu on Facebook
- Michael Cantu on Twitter
Footnotes
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Candidate listing for 2016 general election," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed November 23, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Florida Department of State, "Candidates and Races," accessed July 1, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Florida Division of Elections, "August 30, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed September 22, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "2014 Florida Election Watch - Multi-County or District Offices," accessed September 3, 2014
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ cantugop.com, "Issues," accessed October 23, 2014
