With the November election rapidly approaching, the intersection of Florida politics and the state’s massive tourism economy took center stage in Orlando this week. Florida Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon held a town hall specifically for Walt Disney World employees, listening to concerns that ranged from the rising cost of living in Central Florida to healthcare access and the potential impacts of proposed federal immigration policies.Credit: DisneyThe event, which drew a crowd of over 100 attendees according to event reporting, was organized by the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM)—one of the six labor unions that make up the Service Trades Council Union (STCU). Together, this coalition represents roughly 45,000 Disney World employees, spanning roles from attractions and parking attendants to housekeepers, culinary staff, and the performers who bring iconic characters to life.Nixon, a progressive state representative from Jacksonville running to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Ashley Moody, was joined at the event by former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson. Throughout the town hall, cast members took the microphone to share personal stories detailing how broader national issues are affecting the workforce behind one of the world’s most famous vacation destinations.The Debate Over a “Living Wage” in Central FloridaA primary focus of the town hall was on theme park compensation. In 2023, the STCU successfully negotiated a landmark five-year contract with Walt Disney World. Under the terms of that agreement, the minimum hourly rate for employees hired after December 3, 2023, was scheduled to reach $20 in October 2026. The contract’s scheduled minimum for existing cast members rose to $20.50 an hour effective October 4, 2026.Credit: DisneyWhile those rates are substantially higher than the park’s minimum wage was a decade ago, many workers in attendance argued that the region’s soaring cost of living has already outpaced their recent gains. Inflationary pressures—affecting everything from housing and groceries to fuel—have made Central Florida an increasingly expensive place to live for many blue-collar workers.Diego Henry Jr., a parks attraction worker who has been with Disney for 12 years, expressed his frustration with the current economic climate. “I’m blessed. I get paid $21 and change, but that’s not even a living wage right now,” Henry told the crowd, expressing a feeling that corporate leadership remains disconnected from the daily financial realities of frontline employees.Credit: Walt Disney World ResortHealthcare accessibility also emerged as a critical talking point. Quinn Gorski, a 23-year cast member who works as a server at 50’s Prime Time Café in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, shared her ongoing battle with kidney cancer. According to her account, she does not receive health benefits through Disney because of her part-time status and relies on her husband’s insurance plan. Gorski said her part-time status was connected to what she described as the company limiting full-time tipped positions and overstaffing locations. Facing mounting medical bills and upcoming surgeries, Gorski noted that she had to rely on a community crowdfunding campaign just to cover her copays.Immigration Policy and Temporary Protected StatusBeyond economic concerns, the town hall featured emotional discussions regarding national immigration policies. Estimates based on 2023 data put Florida’s undocumented immigrant population at approximately 590,000, the third-largest in the United States. Federal data from March 2025 also identified Florida as home to the country’s largest population of immigrants living legally under Temporary Protected Status (TPS).Credit: Inside the MagicTPS is a federal designation that allows eligible foreign nationals from designated countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States for a temporary period. It does not itself provide permanent residency or citizenship, and eligibility depends on the applicable designation and federal requirements.During his first term, Donald Trump’s administration moved to terminate TPS designations for several countries, including Haiti and Venezuela, while actions affecting different countries—including Syria—have involved separate decisions and legal proceedings. The status of individual designations can change as government decisions and court cases develop. With immigration remaining a central part of the Trump administration’s agenda, many immigrant workers in Florida are expressing fear over the possibility of future deportations.Credit: Gage Skidmore, Flickr (Donald Trump) / Inside the MagicEdner Alouidor, a Unite Here Local 737 union member who has worked as a custodian at EPCOT for 14 years, immigrated from Haiti. Addressing the crowd, he urged politicians to recognize the humanity and contributions of immigrant workers in the hospitality sector.“We are not criminals,” Alouidor emphasized. “We are workers, we are parents—we are human beings. We are not asking for special treatment, we are asking for dignity. Our children deserve dreams. Our family deserves hope, not fear.” Alouidor has been actively canvassing for political candidates endorsed by his union, hoping to secure protections for workers who fled political violence or climate catastrophes in their home countries.Nixon’s Platform and the Labor VoteFor her part, Nixon used the town hall to outline a legislative platform tailored to the labor movement. Drawing on her own background as a former union organizer and a mother of five who has faced financial struggles, she promised to advocate for the working class in Washington.Credit: DisneyHer platform includes a push for a $25 federal minimum wage, a significant jump from the current federal baseline of $7.25. To address the healthcare concerns raised by workers like Gorski, Nixon is campaigning on a promise to support universal healthcare through a Medicare-for-All framework.Additionally, Nixon voiced strong support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Versions of the proposed legislation have passed the U.S. House but have not become law after failing to advance through the Senate. The bill seeks to strengthen federal labor laws. Its provisions include penalties for certain labor-law violations, changes to the process for workers seeking remedies when their rights are violated, and measures intended to make it easier for workers to organize and secure union contracts.Credit: DisneyNixon also expressed support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), aligning with a position held by some progressive Democrats.“I know what it’s like to struggle,” Nixon told the audience of cast members. “People power will beat big money each and every day, but it has to be organized. I’m willing to go to the U.S. Senate to help organize and to also help fight alongside you all, so we can put pressure on the folks in Washington to do the right thing.”The Broader Political Landscape in FloridaDespite the reception at the union-organized town hall, Nixon faces a challenging political environment in her bid for the U.S. Senate. She is running against Senator Ashley Moody, a Republican who previously served as Florida’s Attorney General before being appointed to the Senate by Governor Ron DeSantis to fill the vacancy left by Marco Rubio.Credit: DisneyNixon criticized Moody during the event, citing the Senator’s refusal to debate her or participate in televised question-and-answer segments. Nixon also faced scrutiny surrounding the Hope Florida Foundation controversy, which involved approximately $10 million in taxpayer funds routed through the nonprofit and subsequently sent to political committees. A Florida grand jury report released in August 2026 concluded that the DeSantis administration had misappropriated taxpayer money in connection with the arrangement, but found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. The controversy has drawn scrutiny of the roles played by officials and agencies involved, including Moody’s office when she was Florida’s Attorney General. The findings should not be taken as proof that Moody personally misappropriated funds or committed a crime.Florida has increasingly shifted toward conservatism in recent election cycles. According to the Florida Division of Elections, Republicans had approximately 1.545 million more registered voters than Democrats as of September 30, 2026. Recent polling from the University of North Florida offers a snapshot of the race: a poll of likely Florida voters conducted October 12–19 showed Moody at 49% and Nixon at 45%, with approximately 5% undecided. The survey’s margin of error was about 2.8 percentage points, so the four-point difference should be understood as a measurement from that poll rather than a prediction of the election outcome.Credit: Disney To build momentum, Nixon has been leaning heavily into grassroots labor organizations. Earlier in the week, she campaigned alongside U.S. Representative Ro Khanna in the Orlando area, and she recently joined Independent Senator Bernie Sanders for rallies in Tampa, Melbourne, Gainesville, and Tallahassee.As election day draws near, the town hall at Walt Disney World highlights the issues being raised by Florida voters and workers. For the cast members who power the state’s most famous economic engine, the election and subsequent policy decisions could affect their paychecks, healthcare options, and the circumstances facing immigrant workers and their families.The post ‘We’re Not Criminals:’ Disney World Cast Members Press Florida Senate Candidate on Living Wages and Trump’s Immigration Policies in Orlando Town Hall appeared first on Inside the Magic.