In the city where dreams come true, the son of a Henrico County elementary school teacher is hoping to realize one of his own.

Mike Cantone, the son of Colonial Trail Elementary School Principal Philip Cantone, is running for mayor of Orlando, Fla. The election is being held April 3.

Cantone attended Short Pump Elementary School while growing up in Henrico's Far West End and graduated in 2001 from J.R. Tucker High School.

His interest in politics was sharpened during his participation in the Presidential Classroom in Washington, a nonprofit civic organization that provides high school students with educational training to help prepare them for leadership roles in public and private service.

Cantone, a community organizer, is one of three challengers in the race who hope to unseat three-term incumbent Democratic mayor Buddy Dyer.

Cantone has been the most outspoken in his criticism of Dyer, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"While I might not have lived in Orlando long enough to know all the ins and outs of the corruption inside of City Hall, I can promise on day one I will begin to dismantle it," he said during a debate, the Sentinel reported.

Cantone attended St. Louis University, earning degrees in political science and international studies, and spent a year in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill as an intern for then-Senator Hillary Clinton, focusing primarily on military issues such as veterans affairs and the Iraq war, according to his father.

Cantone moved to Orlando several years ago to serve as the Florida political and targeting director for Organize Now.