Primary Election Date: 04/03/2012
General Election Date: 04/03/2012

Who Am I?

I'm proud to call Orlando home. My passion for politics stems from a yearning to create a better community. When it comes to my principles, I am unyielding. Among others, I value ambition, courage, acceptance, duty, balance, excellence, justice, mercy, selflessness and generosity. I've been listening to the hurting middle class families and discouraged youth in Orlando, developing strong feelings about what to do - creating a desire to do even more for the City Beautiful. I am running for Mayor to empower my community and those around me.

I came to Orlando as the Florida Political and Targeting Director for a national organization that provides on-the-ground data management, targeting and coalition-building advice and services to a variety of clients, including advocacy groups, charities and progressive political organizations and campaigns. It was here that I gained valuable insight and personal connections to the needs of community organizations made up of concerned citizens and workers. I most recently served as Political Director for Organize Now, a progressive community-based organization committed to increasing civic participation in under-served and disenfranchised communities through education and communication. This gave me the opportunity to hear the voice of Orlando residents and the concerns facing families while working on solutions at the community, state and federal level.

I have a long history of working for progress with over a decade of campaign and non-profit experience, as well as time serving then-Senator Hillary Clinton, launching and running my own PAC to expose conservative corruption, and studying in Brussels, the heart of the EU. Through my education at Saint Louis University, I had the privilege of learning through the Jesuit tradition, whose values and mission have been instilled in me and impacted my experiences. I also received a Certificate in Urban Social Analysis at Saint Louis University - the studies of poverty and problems in the American City and reaching and implementing community solutions to address them. To earn this degree, I had to work in the community - in the neighborhoods, in the schools, in the universities and in the Churches - to gain real-world application of our studies.

I am also a season ticket holder with the Orlando Magic and the Orlando Predators. On the rare occasion that I have a day off, I like to ride the roller coasters at Orlando’s popular attractions, visit nearby beaches, and spend time out with my dog Rocky.

Why Am I Running?

I’m running for Mayor because the people of Orlando deserve a leader who will put the people first and shift the priorities in the City Beautiful away from the Chamber of Commerce and big business. I believe we can change this city. I decided to get in this race because there was a lack of leadership and opportunity in one of the most diverse and talented cities in the nation and I could no longer remain silent and on the sidelines. I have been in the trenches since 2008 in this community listening to the cries of working and middle class residents and with Rick Scott and Dean Cannon literally declaring war on working families, Orlando simply cannot afford the status quo of our incumbent mayor. For too long, our city has not been engaged by our leadership – they have been ignored. We have a mayor who was proud of laying off 400 city employees, proud of not finding compromise with a group of citizens whose purpose was to feed the hungry and share progressive information during the dinner time meal, proud of arresting political protesters with whom he did not agree, and proud of directing tens of thousands of tax payer dollars to the Chamber of Commerce to win their endorsement. We have a Mayor who has a Super PAC funded by Chamber of Commerce donors to fuel his political career.

There is so much wrong in Orlando, yet the people and talent are here ready to thrive and they need a candidate who will deliver a voice for them. I’m running because Orlando should be the leader of the entire state with an aggressive, progressive message and champion. I’m running to empower the people to take charge in their own community. I have a comprehensive vision for the city of Orlando that will set up systems so that people, communities, workers can/will empower themselves to create the kind of communities they want. I have specific plans to create jobs through investing back into local small businesses, working with the trade unions and AFL-CIO to set up training/retraining & certification centers to put people back into strong, union jobs, and by bridging the gap between generations in the workforce through partnerships and mentorship programs. I have the money to be competitive and the grassroots infrastructure to implement the systems needed to shift the priorities in Orlando and put the people back to work with the public transportation system to keep the city moving forward.

Orlando is a progressive, dynamic city and we need the same in our leadership. It’s time for change in Orlando.

Hold Me Accountable!

My top two goals are:

1. Start to invest in the diversity and talent that makes Orlando the City Beautiful, NOT the Chamber of Commerce by shifting funds and priorities away from big business interest and begin to open up capital to small business and local entrepreneurs to create jobs and kick-start our local economy. That means starting a Small Business Advisory Board that will mentor and invest in local small business owners.

2. Make the Banks Pay: It’s time to stand up for our families and our homes. If banks foreclose on homes in the city limits, they will be responsible for the property taxes, maintenance and upkeep fees on those properties when they choose to foreclose and take homes from families.

More can be found at www.mikecantone.com/the-vision

My DFA values:

A key component of my education is heavily based in social justice and community issues. The Jesuit values and tradition from Saint Louis University have been instilled in me. I have learned not to so much embrace ideas as challenge them, always looking for larger, stronger answers and solutions. As a consequence, not only have I learned to defend my ideas, I continue to learn to improve upon them, developing the intellectual wherewithal to think clearly, argue pointedly and express myself boldly. And, finally, I have evolved as a leader, acquiring the ethical and moral underpinning necessary to make sound judgments. Through my experiences I have come to see the world -- and my place in it -- as a wondrous opportunity for growth and good works.

We must be bold. We must act. Now is the time for Orlando and now is the time for Florida. The status quo is no longer acceptable – our community needs a champion. I’m ready to step up to the plate and be your champion.

My Campaign is People-Powered!

I'm running the most aggressive, grassroots campaign in Orlando. As a candidate, I knock on doors 6 days a week and our team has already knocked on over 15,000 homes door-to-door in just a few months! We've also made over 32,000 phone calls to voters and are trying to engage the community in every way so that voter turnout is maximized on April 3, 2012. I'm also running the most aggressive online campaign - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube - we have it covered! Join us online and become part of the conversation on how to change Orlando!