Less than a month after announcing his return to the political arena, Republican candidate Bob Cortes landed his first major endorsement on Wednesday.

Cortes announced today that he has been endorsed by BusinessForce, a leading business advocacy group for Central Florida.

BusinessForce promotes a pro-business environment and, on a non-partisan basis, supports candidates and elected officials who support free enterprise. The organization is composed of regional business and community leaders that represent thousands of businesses and their tens of thousands of employees.

“We look forward to supporting Representative Cortes during this election cycle as he continues to promote free enterprise and economic growth in our region,” said Jose Boscan, Chairman of the BusinessForce Board of Directors.

Cortes, who previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2014-2018, filed to run for House District 30 on April 29. The district, which includes parts of Seminole County and Orange County, was previously held by Cortes before the 2018 elections.

“It’s an honor to earn this endorsement right out of the gate,” said Cortes. “I’ve worked with BusinessForce and their membership on all the major issues for Central Florida, from transportation to education. I look forward to working with them again to rebuild our economy and meet our biggest challenges.”

Cortes was born in Brooklyn, New York before moving to Puerto Rico where he was raised. He moved Altamonte Springs before residing in Longwood where he founded two businesses: Cortes Towing Service and Cortrans Shuttle Service. Before being elected to the Florida House, Cortes served on the Longwood City Commission from 2009 to 2014.

He was first elected to the chamber in 2014 where he served as Vice Chairman of the Education Committee and the Transportation & Infrastructure Sub Committee. He also served as the Majority Deputy Whip from 2016 to 2018.

Following his departure from the House, Cortes remained active, serving on the Seminole State College board of trustees after being appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis last August. He also served on the governor’s transition team back in 2018.

The seat is currently held by Democratic Representative Joy Goff-Marcil.