Report: Third Republican lines up to challenge Rep. Grayson

{mosads}Peter Vivaldi, a business consultant active in local Hispanic organizations but with little prior political experience, said Thursday he’s established an exploratory committee and will announce his plans next week at a rally, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Vivaldi, a Puerto Rican-American, has been active in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, and that background could help him in a race in the 9th district, which has a large Hispanic population.

Republicans in the district, however, are overwhelmingly white, and Vivaldi will face at least two other contenders vying for the nomination — court interpreter Jorge L. Bonilla Jr. and realtor Carol Platt.

Democrat Michael McKenna, a Navy veteran, has launched a primary challenge.

Grayson, one of the more outspoken progressives in the House, lost his 2010 race to Republican Dan Webster, but won with more than 60 percent of the vote in 2012 running in the 9th, which was drawn more favorable to Democrats.