Latest news with #FloridaElections
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Results in for Democratic primaries held for Florida Senate Dist. 15, Florida House Dist. 40
The Brief State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis has won the Democratic special election primary for Senate Dist. 15., defeating three others, including her brother, and a former congressman. Tuesday's special primary was held to fill the vacancy left by the passing of Sen. Geraldine Thompson. In the Democratic special election primary for House Dist. 40, former Rep. Travaris McCurdy was defeated by legislative aide RaShon Young. ORLANDO, Fla. - LaVon Bracy Davis and RaShon Young have won the Democratic special election primaries for Florida Senate Dist. 15 and Florida House Dist. 40, respectively. The two now advance to the special general election in September. Election Results State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis has won the Democratic special election primary for Senate Dist. 15., defeating three others, including her brother, and a former congressman. The special primary election was held 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 were 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. A total of 12,880 votes were cast. In unofficial results released by the Orange County Supervisor of Elections, Bracy Davis won the Democratic primary with 42.96% of the vote (5,533 votes), followed by Coretta Anthony-Smith at 28.31% (3,646 votes). Former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson trails with 16.72% (2,153 votes), while Randolph Bracy receives 12.02% (1,548 votes). The race had drawn interest due to the sibling rivalry and the involvement of notable political figures. The backstory Geraldine Thompson served the West Orlando area and was known for her work in education and civil rights. Her passing in February 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 LaVon Bracy Davis now advances to the Sept. 2 general election to face Republican Willie Montague, who secured his party's nomination unopposed. A special primary election was also held for Florida House District 40, which was up for grabs after Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis stepped down to run for the late Sen. Geraldine Thompson's Senate seat. Election Results Legislative aide RaShon Young defeated former State Rep. Travaris McCurdy and current. A total of 5,039 votes were cast. In unofficial results released by the Orange County Supervisor of Elections, RaShon Young won the Democratic primary with 55.43% of the vote (2,793 votes), defeating former state Rep. Travaris McCurdy, who received 44.57% (2,246 votes). A total of 5,039 votes were cast. 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. What's next The winner of the State House Dist. 40 Democratic primary will face Republican Tuan Le 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 Department of State Division of Elections, and the Orange County Supervisor of Elections.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's what Brevard voters need to know for Election Day about Senate, House races
Today is Election Day in Brevard. Voters will go to the polls June 10 for the special election to fill Florida Senate District 19 and Florida House District 32 seats. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 77 locations throughout Brevard County. They will be staffed by a total of 692 poll workers. Here is what voters need to know about these elections: Voters who vote on Election Day need to remember to vote in their precinct-specific polling location. Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic said voters need to bring a valid current photo and signature ID. Assigned precincts can be found on with the 'Find Your Precinct' tab; on a voter information card; or on the sample ballot that has been mailed to each registered voter in Senate District 19 or House District 32. Bobanic said there have been some polling location changes, so voters should verify the location of their Election Day polling place. The candidates are Republican Debbie Mayfield of Indialantic and Democrat Vance Ahrens of Grant-Valkaria. The seat became vacant when the incumbent, Randy Fine, resigned, effective March 31, to run for a seat in Congress in Florida's 6th Congressional District, a six-county area that includes Daytona Beach. Fine won the congressional seat in an April 1 election. Mayfield has been a member of the Florida House, representing District 32, since November. She resigned her seat on June 9 to run for this Senate seat, which she previously held before having to give it up in 2024 because of term limits. Because of the gap in tenure, Mayfield is allowed to seek the Senate seat again in this election. Mayfield on April 1 won a four-candidate primary for the Senate seat, receiving 60.81% of the vote. Ahrens worked in health care as a surgical technician for more than 20 years, and currently works as a retail manager. Ahrens previously sought this seat in 2024, losing to Fine and getting 40.64% of the vote. The district includes most of Brevard County, except for Titusville and areas north of Titusville. The election winner will serve the remainder of Fine's four-year term, which runs until November 2028. Florida Senate members have a salary of $29,697 a year. The candidates are Republican Brian Hodgers of Viera and Democrat Juan Hinojosa of Rockledge. The seat will become vacant because of Mayfield's resignation to run for the Senate District 19 seat. Hodgers is a real estate broker and insurance agent. On April 1, Hodgers won a close three-candidate Republican primary for this seat, receiving 35% of the vote. Hinojosa is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Hinojosa previously ran for the House District 32 seat in 2024, losing to Mayfield and getting 35.72% of the vote. The district includes much of Central Brevard County. The election winner will serve the remainder of Mayfield's two-year term, which runs until November 2026. Florida House members have a salary of $29,697 a year. Yes. The deadline to register to vote in this election — also known as "book closing" — was May 12. There are 401,333 registered voters in Senate District 19 eligible to vote in this election. Of those, 44.9% are Republicans; 25.9% are Democrats; 25.5% are no-party-affiliation voters; and 3.7% are members of a minor political party. There are 137,773 registered voters in House District 32. Of those, 46.9% are Republicans; 24.4% are Democrats; 25.1% are no-party-affiliation voters; and 3.6% are members of a minor political party. All of them also live within Senate District 19, so they can vote in both races. Voter turnout for the primary was 21.71% of eligible voters. Under state law, the Republican primary was open only to registered Republicans. As of the morning of June 9, there have been 25,674 votes cast by mail for this election, In addition 17,898 voters cast ballots in in-person early voting, which ran from May 31 through June 7 at nine locations throughout Brevard. In all, 10.86% of eligible voters have voted so far. Of those, 22,033 votes were cast by Republicans; 14,764 by Democrats; 6,049 by no-party-affiliation voters; and 730 by members of a minor political party. "Turnout for the 2025 special general election has been light," Bobanic said. "Mail ballot and early voting have us sitting at a little over 10% overall turnout. If voters follow the same trend as the special primary, the majority of voters will cast their ballot on Election Day." Precincts 305 and 324: Moved from Melbourne Beach Town Hall Community Center, 509 Ocean Ave., Melbourne Beach, to St. Sebastian's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 2010 Oak St., Melbourne Beach. Precincts 310 and 329: Moved from Central Baptist Church, 2503 Country Club Road, Melbourne, to Joseph N. Davis Community Center, 2547 Bruce D. Buggs St., Melbourne. Precincts 421 and 430: Moved from Suntree United Methodist Church, 7400 N. Wickham Road, Suntree, to St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, 5965 N. Wickham Road, Suntree. Precincts 424 and 429: Moved from Church at Viera, 9005 N. Wickham Road, Viera, to Viera Regional Community Center, 2300 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera. Precincts 500 and 528: Moved from Tropical Haven Auditorium, 1205 S. Eddie Allen Road, Melbourne, to Melbourne Public Library, 540 E. Fee Ave., Melbourne. Precinct 505: Moved from First Baptist Church of Indialantic, 170 Washington Ave., Indialantic, to Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 106 N. Riverside Drive, Indialantic. (This is a temporary move just for this election.) Bobanic said filled-out mail ballots must be brought to one of the four administrative offices by 7 p.m. on Election Day. They are not accepted at polling places. These are the Brevard office locations: Melbourne: South Brevard Service Complex, 1515 Sarno Road, Building A. Palm Bay: South Mainland Service Center, 450 Cogan Drive SE. Titusville: Government Complex-North, 400 South St., Suite 1F. Viera: Government Center, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Building C, Suite 105. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@ on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard voters can cast ballots in special elections for Senate, House
Fox News
05-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Former Republican congressman-turned-Democrat launches bid for governor in push to flip red-state Florida
Democrats in Florida face an uphill climb as they work to win the governor's office in next year's elections. It's been more than three decades since a Democrat won a gubernatorial election in the Sunshine State. You have to go all the way back to Democrat Gov. Lawton Chiles' 1994 re-election. But former Rep. David Jolly, when asked how the Democrats could end their losing streak, told Fox News Digital, "It's been even longer since we had an affordability crisis like we're experiencing right now. That's how." Jolly, who, as a Republican a decade ago, won election and re-election to Congress, on Thursday announced his Democrat candidacy for governor in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis. "We have an affordability crisis in Florida driven by an insurance crisis that continues to worsen in the face of complete neglect by Tallahassee. We have abandoned public education, and we've allowed corruption to run rampant. It's time for a change," Jolly said in a statement. And in his Fox News interview, Jolly argued that the state's affordability crisis has "largely been caused by Republican neglect that I don't believe Republicans will address and that our campaign will." Jolly, who left the Republican Party seven years ago and became an independent and a cable news political analyst on MSNBC, pointed to the GOP's voter registration advantage in Florida. "Let's be honest about the math," he said. "There aren't enough Democratic votes in Florida for a Democratic governor to just win with their own party. We have to build a coalition that includes independents and commonsense Republicans. But here's the good news, it's already there." Jolly, pointing to the recent town halls he's been holding ahead of his campaign launch, said, "Republicans are turning out. Independents are coming out. There's a perfect storm for legacy Republicans right now. We have an affordability crisis in Florida that's hitting every family, every voter, every walk of life, and it doesn't care what your partisan affiliation is, Republican, Democrat or independent." "This is a race much like you've seen with Andy Beshear in Kentucky and Steve Bullock in Montana, a coalition for change can win next November. But that coalition is going to have to be led by today's Democratic Party," he added. The mentions of GOP-dominated Kentucky's current Democrat governor and red-state Montana's former Democrat governor were intentional. Jolly recently hired as an adviser Democrat political strategist Eric Hyers, who helped steer Beshear and Bullock's successful campaigns. Four years ago, former governor and former Rep. Charlie Crist, another Republican-turned-Democrat, was trounced by DeSantis as the conservative governor cruised to re-election by 19 points. Jolly highlighted that Crist (who defeated Jolly as the then-congressman ran for re-election in 2016) quickly transitioned from Republican to Democrat. "It was transactional for running for office. He would always say, 'I didn't leave the party. The party left me,'" Jolly noted. "David Jolley left the party," he said. "I've grown. I've changed." "Over the last 10 years, my values haven't changed," Jolly said. "This is very important. When I was a Republican in Congress, I supported marriage equality, gun control, climate change, campaign finance reform. Republicans didn't want me. Democrats didn't need me, but those values were already there then. I am a person of deep faith. I grew up a preacher's kid in a Christian church. I belong to a Christian church today." But Florida Republicans predict Jolly will become the latest in a line of defeated Democrat gubernatorial candidates. "It's good to know Never Trumper and failed MSNBC analyst has found his true home in the irrelevant @FlaDems," Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power said after Jolly joined the Democratic Party. "I welcome him to run for Governor, the nearly 40% of the electorate that voted for @CharlieCrist deserve an equally bad choice this cycle." Making the Democrats' climb to win back the governor's office next year even steeper is last month's announcement by state Sen. Jason Pizzo, the former state Senate Democrat leader, to run for governor as an independent. Weeks earlier, Pizzo argued the Florida Democratic Party was "dead." "I have enormous respect for Jason Pizzo. He followed his political conviction, just as I did. I disagree with his decision," Jolly said. But Jolly also said, "Jason was right when he said you've got millions of disaffected independent voters" and added that "my job as the Democratic candidate, and perhaps the Democratic nominee, is to build a coalition that says [to] those independent voters, 'We want you in this coalition.'" In the race for the Republican gubernatorial primary, Rep. Byron Donalds appears to be on an early glide path to the nomination as speculation of a possible bid by first lady Casey DeSantis cools. Donalds enjoys the support and endorsement of Florida's most famous resident: President Donald Trump. "This race is not about Donald Trump. You'll never hear me talk about Donald Trump. It's about the affordability crisis and how Republicans in Tallahassee have created it," Jolly said. But Jolly argued that "Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are the scene-setters for an earthquake-of-a-change election environment in the state of Florida, because if voters in Florida are demanding change, I'm not sure they could look at Trump's endorsed candidate in Byron Donalds and see change. If it's Casey DeSantis, you're not seeing change. You're seeing the third term of Ron DeSantis."
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Early in-person to get underway in Brevard for special elections for Senate, House seats
Eight days of early in-person voting will begin on May 31 in Brevard County, in advance of the June 10 special elections to fill local Florida Senate District 19 and Florida House District 32 seats. Here is what voters need to know about these elections: Early in-person voting for this special general election will be conducted from Saturday, May 31, through Saturday June 7, at nine locations throughout Brevard. Voters can cast their ballot at any early-voting site. Early-voting sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and from 8 a.m. to 4 and Sunday. The early voting sites are: Dr. Joe Lee Smith Community Center, 415 Stone St., Cocoa. Kiwanis Island Park Gymnasium, 950 Kiwanis Island Park Road, Merritt Island. Max K. Rodes Park Community Center, 3410 Flanagan Ave., West Melbourne. Scotty Culp Municipal Complex, 565 Cassia Blvd., Satellite Beach. Ted Whitlock Community Center, 370 Championship Circle NW, Palm Bay. Titusville Elections Office, 400 South St., Suite 1-F, Titusville. Tony Rosa Palm Bay Community Center, 1502 Port Malabar Blvd. NE, Palm Bay. Viera Regional Community Center, 2300 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera. Wickham Park Community Center, 2815 Leisure Way, Melbourne. In addition, voters with filled-out vote-by-mail ballots can drop them off in secure election drop boxes at all nine early-voting sites during voting hours. Secure ballot intake stations are available in the lobbies of all four Brevard supervisor of elections administrative office during regular business hours. These are the Brevard office locations: Melbourne: South Brevard Service Complex, 1515 Sarno Road, Building A. Palm Bay: South Mainland Service Center, 450 Cogan Drive SE. Titusville: Government Complex-North, 400 South St., Suite 1F. Viera: Government Center, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Building C, Suite 105. On Election Day, June 10, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters who vote on Election Day need to remember to vote in their precinct-specific polling location. Assigned precincts can be found on with the 'Find Your Precinct' tab; on a voter information card; or on the sample ballot that has been mailed to each registered voter in Senate District 19 or House District 32. Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic said there have been some polling location changes, so voters should verify the location of their Election Day polling place. The candidates are Republican Debbie Mayfield of Indialantic and Democrat Vance Ahrens of Grant-Valkaria. The seat became vacant when the incumbent, Randy Fine, resigned, effective March 31, to run for a seat in Congress in Florida's 6th Congressional District, a six-county area that includes Daytona Beach. Fine won the congressional seat in an April 1 election. Mayfield currently is a member of the Florida House, representing District 32. She is resigning her seat on June 9 to run for this Senate seat, which she previously held before having to give it up in 2024 because of term limits. Because of the gap in tenure, Mayfield is allowed to seek the Senate seat again in this election. Mayfield on April 1 won a four-candidate primary for the Senate seat, receiving 60.81% of the vote. Ahrens worked in health care as a surgical technician for more than 20 years, and currently works as a retail manager. Ahrens previously sought this seat in 2024, losing to Fine and getting 40.64% of the vote. The district includes most of Brevard County, except for Titusville and areas north of Titusville. The election winner will serve the remainder of Fine's four-year term, which runs until November 2028. Florida Senate members have a salary of $29,697 a year. The candidates are Republican Brian Hodgers of Viera and Democrat Juan Hinojosa of Rockledge. The seat will become vacant because of Mayfield's upcoming resignation to run for the Senate District 19 seat. Hodgers is a real estate broker and insurance agent. On April 1, Hodgers won a close three-candidate Republican primary for this seat, receiving 35% of the vote. Hinojosa is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He previously ran for the House District 32 seat in 2024, losing to Mayfield and getting 35.72% of the vote. The district includes much of Central Brevard County. The election winner will serve the remainder of Mayfield's two-year term, which runs until November 2026. Florida House members have a salary of $29,697 a year. Yes. The deadline to register to vote in this election — also known as "book closing" — was May 12. There are 401,333 registered voters in Senate District 19 eligible to vote in this election. Of those, 44.9% are Republicans; 25.9% are Democrats; 25.5% are no-party-affiliation voters; and 3.7% are members of a minor political party. There are 137,773 registered voters in House District 32. Of those, 46.9% are Republicans; 24.4% are Democrats; 25.1% are no-party-affiliation voters; and 3.6% are members of a minor political party. All of them also live within Senate District 19, so they can vote in both races. Yes. As of Jan. 1, all previous mail ballot requests expired. Voters who wish to vote by mail and haven't yet put in a new request in 2025 needed to request to receive mail ballots for upcoming elections through 2026. Voters choosing to vote by mail had until May 29 to request a mail ballot be sent to them prior to the June 10 election. Voter turnout for the primary was 21.71% of eligible voters. Under state law, the Republican primary was open only to registered Republicans. Bobanic said he is hoping that turnout is higher for the June 10 special general election. As of the morning of May 29, there have been 18,106 votes cast by vote-by-mail ballot, representing 4.51% of eligible voters. Of those, 8,625 were cast by Republicans; 6,698 by Democrats; 2,468 by no-party-affiliation voters; and 315 by members of a minor political party. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@ on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Early in-person voting for Florida Senate, House seats to get underway
