Following his move, Santiago worked in insurance and real estate, and served on the Deltona, Florida City Commission from 2003 to 2007.

Santiago ran in the open seat and faced George Trovato in the Republican primary, whom he easily defeated with 65% of the vote.

In the general election, Santiago was initially set to face Dennis Mulder, the Democratic nominee and the former Mayor of Deltona.

The Florida Democratic Party was targeting the district because it has a substantial registration advantage, but in August, Mulder abruptly dropped out of the race, citing his son's deteriorating health.

[2] The Volusia County Democratic Party was forced to find a replacement, eventually voting to nominate their Chairman, Phil Giorno, who previously served as a member of the Volusia County Council, over DeBary Mayor Bob Garcia and former congressional candidate Nicholas Ruiz.