Chris Dawson, Attorney, GrayRobinson
Florida held a successful primary election in August, setting the stage for the November General Election. Top of the ticket races (statewide primary contests for the U.S. Senate and Florida Cabinet) went as expected with U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D – FL 13) besting Agriculture Commissioner (and only current statewide elected Democrat) Nikki Fried for the Democratic nomination for Governor. Governor DeSantis awaits with a sizeable war chest and strong approval ratings. Over in the U.S. Senate race, U.S. Representative Val Demings (D – FL 10) cleared the field handily for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate with 84 percent of the vote. She takes on U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R – FL) in November in what promises to be one of the most expensive races in the country. If you want to know more about their positions – or, better yet, how they feel about each other – just turn on your TV.
Legislators Elected During the Primary
Not all races move on to November, however, as dozens of Florida Legislators almost assuredly will return to Tallahassee following their victories in the August primary election. This is because they have no general election opponent or only face write-in candidates. They are joined by the (even luckier) Legislators we discussed last month who were elected with no opposition at all. Above, you’ll find the next wave of politicos headed to Tallahassee for the next two years (or four years for some very lucky Senators).
November Challengers Drop
Two additional Florida Legislators punched their tickets back to Tallahassee recently when their General Election opposition abruptly dropped out of the race. There’s nothing quite like an early political Halloween treat.
■ Rep. Kimberly Daniels (D – Jacksonville) – House District 14 (Returns to this Seat after a Hiatus)
■ Rep. Christopher Benjamin (D – Miami Gardens) – House District 107.
These victories represent an additional 25 members headed to Tallahassee (15.6 percent of the Florida Legislature) for the 2023-24 term. Add them to the 39 members (24.4 percent of the Legislature) that were elected or re-elected without any opposition and we are getting close to quorum before the November election arrives. Pretty wild! Rest assured, however, that the remaining 96 seats up for grabs in November will provide plenty of intrigue, drama and surprise in the weeks to come.
FRM
Chris Dawson is an Attorney and professional Lobbyist for GrayRobinson’s Orlando office and is licensed to practice law in both Florida and Alabama. He primarily focuses on lobbying and government relations for public and private sector clients at the executive and
legislative levels of state government. He is credentialed as a Designated Professional Lobbyist by the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists. Chris also holds two degrees in Civil Engineering and has experience in construction litigation and design professional
malpractice defense.
