Florida Election Today: District 51 Called as Special Races Decide Key Florida Legislature Seats
florida election today is centered on Tuesday’s special elections to fill vacancies in the Florida Legislature, with multiple races unfolding across the state. Three vacancies are being filled in Tuesday special elections, and all of the seats were previously held by Republicans. In the Tampa Bay area, two contests are in play to fill seats in the state legislature, including the high-interest State Senate District 14 race.
What has been decided so far
In Florida House District 51, the race has been called: Republican Hilary Holley garnered almost 55 percent of the vote, with the contest called shortly before 7: 30 p. m. ET. Holley will represent part of Polk County, in a district described as bisecting Interstate 4 and sitting about halfway between Tampa and Orlando in the central part of the state.
District 51 became open after Julie Tomkow resigned as of the day before the election as the Republican nominee for Tuesday’s State Senate special election. In the District 51 contest itself, Holley faced Democrat Edwin Perez.
Beyond District 51, two additional Florida House and State Senate special election races were also on the calendar Tuesday. The State House District 87 special election race has also been called. Separately, State Senate District 14 is being decided in a matchup between state Rep. Josie Tomkow (R) and Brian Nathan (D), a Navy veteran and union leader.
Florida Election Today: The key matchups and why they matter
State Senate District 14 is a focal point because it covers part of Hillsborough County, including South Tampa, Carrollwood, and Westchase, and it has been vacant since Lt. Gov. Jay Collins was appointed to that role last summer by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The district also includes portions of Tampa and adjacent areas, and it has been described as somewhat competitive after Collins won by a 55% to 45% margin in 2022.
In Florida House District 87, the race is drawing heightened attention among Tuesday’s special elections because the district includes Mar-a-Lago, identified as President Trump’s primary residence. District 87 encompasses primarily coastal portions of Palm Beach County. The vacancy opened after Republican Mike Caruso resigned in August after being appointed Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller. In January special primaries, Republican Jon Maples and Democrat Emily Gregory each received over 80% of the vote.
Across the Florida Legislature, the balance of power is heavily Republican: Republicans hold a 27-11 edge over Democrats in the Florida Senate, with one independent and one vacancy noted, while Republicans hold an 83-33 margin over Democrats in the 120-seat Florida State House, with four vacancies.
Immediate reactions
Officials and election administrators had not been quoted in the available race updates, and no on-the-record statements from candidates or government bodies were provided in the materials available to El-Balad. com. What is confirmed at this hour is the called result in District 51, including the timing of the call at shortly before 7: 30 p. m. ET, and that State House District 87 has also been called.
Quick context
Tuesday’s special elections were set to fill legislative vacancies, and the seats up in these contests were previously held by Republicans. Candidate fields include Republican and Democratic nominees competing to fill vacated posts in both chambers.
What’s next
Election watchers will now focus on the remaining outstanding calls from Tuesday’s special contests, including the outcome in State Senate District 14 and the final accounting of results in District 87 beyond the fact that the race has been called. Separately, the Miami-area Florida House District 113 vacancy is on a later track, with a special primary scheduled for August 18 and a special election on November 3, with those dates concurrent with the regular election for a two-year term. As the night continues, florida election today will be defined by which contests are officially decided and how quickly the remaining special election results are finalized.
