Democratic voters in Florida Senate Dist. 15, House Dist. 40 head to polls on Tuesday
The Brief
Four Democrats — including siblings and a former congressman — are competing in Tuesday's special primary to fill the late Sen. Geraldine Thompson's seat.
Campaign finance reports show heavy self-funding and last-minute fundraising surges ahead of the vote.
Two candidates are competing in Tuesday's Democratic primary for Florida House District 40.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A special primary election will be held on Tuesday to fill the vacancies for state senate, Senate District 15, and state representative, Florida House District 40. Polls open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What we know
A special Democratic primary election is set for Tuesday, June 24, 2025, to fill the Florida Senate District 15 seat left vacant by the death of State Sen. Geraldine Thompson. Thompson, a respected legislator and civil rights advocate, died in February.
Four Democrats are vying for the Senate nomination: current Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, her brother and former Sen. Randolph Bracy, former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, and attorney Coretta Anthony-Smith.
The race has drawn interest due to the sibling rivalry and the involvement of notable political figures.
Davis has raised over $60,000, while Grayson has heavily self-funded, loaning more than $240,000 to his campaign. Anthony-Smith has raised nearly $59,000, while Bracy's latest fundraising numbers remain unposted, though he had raised $2,972 and loaned $6,050 to his campaign as of May 8.
What we don't know
Final campaign finance numbers for Randolph Bracy have yet to be disclosed. It's also unclear how the public is responding to the unusual family dynamic in the race and how this might affect turnout in what's expected to be a low-participation special election.
The backstory
Geraldine Thompson served the West Orlando area and was known for her work in education and civil rights. Her passing in January created a ripple in local Democratic politics, triggering a rare mid-cycle shuffle.
Bracy Davis, her would-be successor, previously held House District 40, leaving that seat open and further adding to the electoral reshuffle.
What's next
The winner of the State Senate Dist. 15 Democratic primary will advance to the Sept. 2 general election to face Republican Willie Montague, who secured his party's nomination unopposed.
The Florida House District 40 seat is up for grabs in Tuesday's special Democratic primary after Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis stepped down to run for the late Sen. Geraldine Thompson's Senate seat.
What we know
Two Democratic candidates — former Rep. Travaris McCurdy and current legislative aide RaShon Young — are vying to replace Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis.
Young has raised over $59,000, $1,900 of which he loaned to his own campaign, while McCurdy has raised just over $8,380.
What we don't know
While endorsements and experience have played central roles in the race, it's unclear how voters will weigh age, political legacy, and ground-level experience. Young's relative youth and McCurdy's prior electoral loss in 2022 raise questions about how much name recognition and political mentorship will sway voters in this low-turnout special election.
The backstory
Travaris McCurdy previously held a House seat and has served as a legislative aide to both Randolph Bracy and Geraldine Thompson. He lost a Democratic primary in 2022 after redistricting reshaped his political base.
RaShon Young, 26, emerged from within the Bracy-Bracy Davis political network and now serves as Bracy Davis' chief of staff. She endorsed him the day she launched her Senate campaign.
Big picture view
This contest reflects generational change and the continued influence of political dynasties in Central Florida. The Bracy family's endorsement network remains active across multiple races, shaping political succession in Orange County. The race also highlights how institutional ties and personal loyalty continue to drive local Democratic politics.
What's next
The winner of the State House Dist. 40 Democratic primary will face Republican Tuan Le of Titusville and write-in candidate Christopher Hall of Tallahassee in the Sept. 2 general election.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:
Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines
Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar
Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines
FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV
The Source
This story was written based on information shared by the Florida Dept. of State Division of Elections.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cuomo: Impeachment shows 'empty outrage' is AOC's signature cause
Chris Cuomo says calling for Trump's impeachment shows some Democrats are focused on 'empty outrage.' He calls that the signature cause of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. And he wants Democrats and Republicans to stop the "fake fighting" because he says there's a real enemy that is coming for everyone — extremism. Cuomo says extremism has taken root among Americans on both sides, especially the younger generation, because social media rewards the extremes. #extremism #AOC #Democrats
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Vessels near Strait of Hormuz transmit unusual messages to prevent attacks
By Georgina McCartney and Arathy Somasekhar HOUSTON (Reuters) -Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz have been broadcasting unusual messages concerning nationality in a bid to avoid being attacked as doubts linger over the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, according to maritime risk analytics firm Windward and ship tracking data on Thursday. The signals have been used since conflict broke out between Israel and Iran early this month, which led the U.S. to strike Iranian nuclear sites. U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire after 12 days of war but the maritime threat remains elevated, the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said. "The perception among shipowners is that due to the convoluted nature of shipping it's hard to know or ascertain clearly a chain of ownership to nationalities which may be under higher threat in shipping, namely the UK, U.S. and Israel," said Ami Daniel, chief executive officer of Windward. Fifty-five vessels transmitted 101 atypical messages across the Gulf and Red Sea from June 12-24, Windward said, including "China owned" and "Russian crude", in the hope of preventing attacks because those countries are less likely to be targeted than Western ships. Commercial maritime traffic surged 30% on June 24, the day after the ceasefire, according to the JMIC. Roughly a fifth of the world's fuel and oil consumption moves through the Strait of Hormuz. Vessels typically broadcast their destinations or say "For Orders". Occasionally, vessels also transmit messages such as "Armed Guards on Board" to deter pirates or other attacks. Unusual messages were almost only seen in the Red Sea before June 12, said Windward's Daniel. The Red Sea had been the focus of a series of attacks by Houthi rebels since the Israel-Gaza war broke out. "I've never seen it in the Persian Gulf," Daniel said. Panama-flagged container ship Yuan Xiang Fa Zhan, bound for Pakistan, was broadcasting "PKKHI all Chinese" on Thursday as it crossed the Strait of Hormuz, according to LSEG data. China-flagged supertanker Yuan Yang Hu was broadcasting "Chinese ship" on Thursday morning while crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia to China, the signal changed to "CN NBG", the Chinese Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, once the vessel had cleared the Strait. Singapore-flagged container ship Kota Cabar was signalling "Vsl no link Israel" as it sailed through the Red Sea. JMIC also warned of electronic interference in the region affecting Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). A jammed GNSS can cause ships to go off course, increasing the risk of collision with other vessels or obstacles.
Wall Street Journal
12 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Ted Cruz Stumbles on a Source of Monetary Madness
Talk about the right debate for the wrong reason. A relatively obscure bit of financial regulation has become a projectile in the Capitol Hill food fight over a five-course budget bill. Alas, the thrower of this missile is missing the target. At issue is the central bank's practice of paying interest to commercial banks on the reserve balances they deposit at the Federal Reserve. Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) tried to launch a debate about this earlier in June when he suggested that if Congress barred these interest payments in its budget bill, it would save the government $1 trillion over 10 years. Many voters might be surprised to discover the Fed is making such large payments to banks. When Congress in 2006 authorized the central bank to pay interest on reserve balances as of 2011, it seemed like an academic matter. The theory was that to satisfy regulatory reserve requirements, banks must forgo the income they otherwise would earn from that capital. That lost revenue constitutes a form of tax, and the Fed could soften the blow by paying interest on those reserve balances. The stakes appeared low. Before the 2007-08 panic, reserve balances tended to be relatively small, and one could argue that the 'tax' was a fair price for banks to pay for access to Fed support in times of trouble.
