By David Washington, The Orlando Voice Political Editor
In the chaotic, often confusing world of local politics, a newspaper’s editorial endorsement is meant to be a lighthouse. It is, in theory, a non-partisan, sober analysis designed to cut through the noise and guide voters toward the best-qualified candidates, regardless of political affiliation.
This year, the Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board has abandoned the lighthouse. Instead of providing clarity, it has made a clear, calculated political move. Its 2025 Orlando City Council endorsements are not a public service; they are a political-power play, punctuated by a stunning act of journalistic cowardice.
The story is simple: The Sentinel’s establishment is attempting to re-assert its influence against the formidable, progressive political machine of State Representative Anna Eskamani.
Act 1: The Snub – Orlando Districts 1 & 3
Rep. Eskamani, the de facto leader of Orange County’s Democratic progressive wing, has her own slate. In District 1, she endorsed Tom Keen. In District 3, she backed Mira Tanna. In District 5, her support went to incumbent Shan Rose.
The Sentinel, a paper that has long championed liberal causes, looked at this slate and made a conscious choice to snub it.
- In District 3, they endorsed Roger Chapin, an establishment figure, over Tanna.
- In District 1, they made their most telling move: they endorsed Jim Gray, the “last Republican standing” on the council.
This endorsement of Gray is not just a simple disagreement on policy. It’s a full-throated rejection of the progressive movement and a glaring piece of ideological hypocrisy.
Let’s be clear about who the Sentinel just endorsed. As reported in its own pages on October 30th, Jim Gray is the beneficiary of a “homophobic” ad from the Republican Party of Florida. The mailer, which Gray approved, decries his opponent Tom Keen for being endorsed by “radical socialist” Anna Eskamani and “LGBTQIA+ Democratic party advocate” the Rainbow Democrats.
The ad is a controversial dog whistle, plain and simple. Yet the Sentinel’s editorial board, which would presumably condemn such tactics on its opinion page, effectively validated them with its endorsement.Why? Because this isn’t about values. It’s about power. The Sentinel would rather prop up an establishment Republican—even one who sanctions homophobic-adjacent attacks on a fellow Democrat—than cede any ground to Eskamani’s growing influence. The message is clear: The Sentinel‘s “liberalism” ends where the progressive wing’s power begins.
Act 2: The Cowardice – Orlando District 5
If the endorsements in Districts 1 and 3 were a cynical power play, the Sentinel‘s decision in District 5 is a dereliction of duty.
As of date and time of this post, the paper made no endorsement in the race.
This is, by any measure, the most chaotic, troubled, and consequential race on the ballot. It features the incumbent, Shan Rose; the legally-entangled former commissioner, Regina Hill; and the perennial candidate, Lawanna Gelzer. This is the exact kind of messy, high-stakes race where voters most need a trusted institution to do the hard work of vetting, analyzing, and making a tough call.
The Sentinel’s silence is, in itself, the loudest possible indictment of the candidates. It implies that the entire field is so deeply flawed that not one of them is worthy of public office. With reports of candidates literally fighting at early voting sites, who could blame them for this assessment?
But this assessment, however damning, is not an excuse for journalistic cowardice. In “abdicating its responsibility,” the Sentinel has hung the voters of District 5 out to dry. It looked at the most difficult choice on the ballot and simply said, “Not our problem.”
This is the ultimate failure of an editorial board. When faced with a choice between bad, worse, and chaotic, their job is to advise. Their job is to lead. The Sentinel chose to do neither.
Between the cynical, hypocritical power play in District 1 and the timid abdication in District 5, the Orlando Sentinel has made its true position known: it is no longer a guide for the public, but a gatekeeper for the establishment.
David Washington is a political innovator and passionate leader with over 35 years of experience. He is the Founder and CEO of J & Washington LLC, which provides affordable, innovative and efficient public relations and campaign management services.