ORLANDO, Fla.,None — It was no ordinary swearing-in for Orange County's newest commissioner. Vocal opponents booed and raised a silver spoon when John Martinez tried to speak.
It’s the first time John Martinez has held public office. Tuesday will be his first commission meeting.
It has not been easy for the 30-year-old to win support from some of the voters he's supposed to represent. Martinez is vowing to work hard for District 3 and to work with even his harshest critics, but his first task as a leader may just have to be finding a way to calm people down.
They protested in two languages, and in both their message was loud and clear.
“How do we have an inexperienced, unattached, indifferent person coming to rule over us?” asked activist Trini Quiroz.
Some protestors held silver spoons to represent their belief Martinez was handed this job because he is the son of former Orange County Mayor and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, who had little to say about the appointment.
“This day is about John, not about me,” said Mel Martinez.
Other protestors opposed a Cuban leading a district that is predominantly Puerto Rican. But State Rep. Darren Soto says this is simply about leadership.
“This came as a huge shock to all of us because no one had ever heard of him. No one had seen him at any community meetings or at anything,” Soto said.
John Martinez says he is working hard to change that.
“I'm doing everything I can to make sure everyone in the district is represented, and that includes the Puerto Rican community,” Martinez said.
Martinez said that those protesting his appointment were excercising their rights.
"This is their right to be represented, to come out here and have their voice heard," said Martinez.
A much stronger reaction came from Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs as she addressed the new commissioner's harshest critics.
"It doesn't take some one of the same tongue, same color or same gender to represent and understand the things I value. I look forward to the day when we can respect eachother," said Jacobs.
He is in the process of moving to the district with his wife and baby. And he's racing to learn about problems and projects under way in the area, knowing an entire community is watching his every move.
"If you're going to lead us you need to know our community, and that's what its really about," said Soto
Martinez is keeping the same staff in the District 3 office, including two Hispanic women. One of those women is Puerto Rican, both are fluent in Spanish. He said he'll be relying on them to help him connect with his district.