Representative Anna Eskamani Contact information

Anna Vishkaee Eskamani, born on May 20, 1990, is an American politician who is currently a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 42nd district. This district encompasses parts of Orlando along with Maitland, Winter Park, Eatonville, Edgewood, and Belle Isle. She is the first Iranian American elected to any public office in Florida.

Eskamani was born in Orlando, Florida, to parents who immigrated to the United States from Iran. She has an older brother and a twin sister. In 2004, Eskamani’s mother died of colon cancer. Eskamani attended University High School in Orlando, Florida, from 2004 to 2008, where she participated in after-school technical theater and graduated in 2008. She received two bachelor’s degrees in 2012 and two master’s degrees in 2015 from the University of Central Florida (UCF). She also earned two certificates and taught at UCF as an adjunct professor. She is currently pursuing a PhD at UCF in public affairs. In 2020, she was selected by the University of Central Florida (UCF) as a member of their Distinguished Alumnus, the highest annual honor UCF Alumni bestows upon a graduate.

According to Eskamani, she first became involved with Planned Parenthood as a patient in 2008. With abstinence-only education at her public school, she turned to Planned Parenthood for information about family planning and reproductive health. From there, Eskamani began volunteering at her local Planned Parenthood affiliate, and in 2012 was hired to serve as a development coordinator. She worked at Planned Parenthood for six years, rising to become the organization’s senior director of public affairs and communications for the merged affiliate known as Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida.

On July 3, 2017, Eskamani announced her candidacy for the 47th district seat in the Florida House of Representatives. She ran for the open seat vacated by Republican Mike Miller, who had served two terms in the district before announcing a run for Congress. On December 20, 2017, Eskamani faced two Republican opponents in a primary and one Democratic opponent who did not live in the district and would eventually withdraw from the race after Eskamani filed a lawsuit challenging his legitimacy as a candidate.

Eskamani is a member of the Democratic Party and supports abortion rights, increased gun control, increasing expenditures on public education, and strengthening environmental regulations. She is known across the state and nation as a leader who is unbothered, unbossed, and committed to the people of Florida.