County Council District 5: Incumbent David Santiago Faces J. David Sosa

Volusia County's District 5 seat is a two-person contest that appears only on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Incumbent David Santiago is seeking a second term against fellow Deltona politician J. David Sosa.

This is part of The Volusia Voice's series profiling each County Council race. Each profile features every candidate in the race. The race is nonpartisan, and every registered voter in the district can vote.

David Santiago, incumbent

Santiago is a U.S. Army veteran and small business owner in insurance and real estate. He previously served as a state representative and as a Deltona city commissioner. Fundraising reported by The Ballot Brief as of Sept. 8 totals $13,695. As of that date, no campaign website was listed for him.

J. David Sosa, challenger

Sosa is a former Deltona city commissioner and martial arts business owner. He was born in New York, raised in Puerto Rico and lives in Deltona. He has raised $4,363, according to the same source, and runs a campaign website at sosaforvolusia.com.

Why it matters

County commissioners oversee the budget, property tax rate, roads, the jail, public health and planning and zoning in unincorporated areas. The council has recently handled the data center ban, the budget and the charter amendments on this year's ballot.

What we don't know yet

Neither candidate's positions on data centers, flooding or the five charter amendments appeared in the sources The Volusia Voice reviewed. We will update this profile if they share them.

How to vote

Early voting runs Oct. 19 to 31, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at eight sites. Election Day is Nov. 3. Finance totals change as filings come in.

The Volusia Voice will continue its series with the remaining county races.