Jacob Ogles
A Lakeland Democrat will once again challenge Republican Rep. Jennifer Canady for her seat in the House.
Carlos David Gamez has filed to run in House District 50. He also ran against the incumbent, who is in line to be the first woman to serve as House Speaker in Florida, in the 2024 election cycle. But Gamez withdrew from that race early.
The Democrat held an event on X’s Spaces to announce his intentions in June, and his paperwork showed up in the state system on the first day of July.
“I’m excited to get started on making Florida brighter for everyone, rather than just the powerful,” Gamez said.
When Gamez filed in 2024, he was still attending Western Governors University. Now, he has completed a master’s degree in education policy and leadership from American University.
Gamez plans to focus on property tax premiums as a key issue in his campaign.
“Florida families have been locked out of political power for far too long. Amid a crisis on multiple fronts, the state Legislature is focusing on political winds (rather) than on you and me.”
He shared the story of his own parents being forced to change insurance providers in the middle of hurricane season, a “tiresome and arduous process.” But he said the Legislature has remained focused on culture wars even after three tumultuous hurricane seasons.
He included Canady in that assessment.
“Representative Canady has placed homeowners insurance companies over the working class,” Gamez said. “As much as she espouses Christian values, she ignores the fullness of it.”
But Canady remains a favorite for re-election.
In 2024, she defeated Democrat Bonnie Patterson-James with nearly 63% of the vote in the deep red district. Meanwhile, 60% of voters in the district supported Republican Donald Trump for President and under 39% supported Democrat Kamala Harris.
But Democrats have tried to field candidates in every legislative district in Florida, something achieved in the 2024 election cycle. Running a candidate against Canady, a leader in the Republican caucus, could keep some of the incumbent’s focus on her race at home while GOP lawmakers in more competitive seats defend ground around the state.
