Orange County Democrats face an important choice in the race for Clerk of the Courts, and this election should be about more than political endorsements, friendships and the local establishment deciding whose “turn” it is.
Former Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh is asking voters to look at something much simpler: his record of public service and executive leadership.
That is a fair request.
The contest has increasingly become a choice between Singh and Roberta Walton Johnson, the longtime associate of outgoing Clerk Tiffany Moore Russell. Russell has endorsed Walton Johnson, who previously worked as Russell’s County Commission aide and later joined her at the Clerk’s Office.
That close relationship deserves scrutiny rather than automatic acceptance.
Walton Johnson’s qualifications also deserve to be considered alongside a fact voters have a right to know: She has two federal felony convictions stemming from her participation in a stolen-check scheme when she was a young bank teller. She received probation and was ordered to pay restitution.
Walton Johnson has acknowledged her past, received clemency and went on to become an attorney and public servant. Voters can and should consider the entirety of that story.
But Democrats should also be permitted to ask an uncomfortable question: Why are so many Democratic political leaders lining up behind one candidate instead of allowing voters to independently compare the records of both Democrats?
Protecting the Democratic Party does not mean protecting a political establishment.
The Democratic Party many Central Floridians grew up with championed working people, opportunity, fairness and the belief that ordinary citizens, not insiders, should decide elections. Those principles ought to matter here.
Singh’s candidacy has attracted support extending beyond a traditional political circle. The Florida State Fraternal Order of Police and District 7 have endorsed him, as have organized labor and public-safety figures.
More importantly, Singh has already managed a major Orange County constitutional office. Whatever voters may think about the controversies that accompanied his tenure as Property Appraiser, he has actually been elected countywide, managed a substantial government organization and faced voters directly.
Singh puts the choice this way:
“After nearly two decades in public service, leadership should be measured by results — not by who you can get to prop you up.
“My record speaks for itself. It was built through hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and a genuine commitment to the people I serve. I didn’t build my record overnight, and I didn’t build it on political connections. I built it by showing up, doing the work, and delivering results because I care.
“In the end, voters will decide which record has earned their trust.”
That’s precisely what should happen.
This election should not amount to the outgoing Clerk choosing her successor or influential Democrats telling Orange County Democrats whom to support.
Democratic voters should make that decision themselves.
And Rick Singh has earned the right to make his case directly to them.
The post Democrats Should Ask Themselves: Why Not Rick Singh for Orange County Clerk? appeared first on West Orlando News.
Source: West Orlando News
Published: 2026-08-10 10:11:00