Mitch Perry
Early voting starts Saturday in the Florida House District 64 seat formerly held by Republican Jamie Grant that, after the election takes place on April 21, will once again be controlled by, yes, Jamie Grant.
The early voting will continue throughout next week in the district, which encompasses northwest Hillsborough and eastern Pinellas counties. It’s been without representation in the Florida House for the past five months, after lawmakers there disallowed Grant’s 19-point victory over fellow Republican Miriam Steinberg. Their decision followed up on an appeal court ruling that invalidated the election results as part of an ongoing case involving write-in candidate Daniel Matthews.
Miriam Steinberg’s husband, Tampa attorney Michael Steinberg, filed a lawsuit this past June on his own behalf over Matthews’ entry into the contest. Steinberg contended that Matthews participation in the race prevented him and other Democrats from casting a ballot in an open or “universal primary.” State election officials previously have ruled that any write-in candidate qualifying for the general election makes the primary election “closed,” meaning that members of the opposing party, in this case, Democrats, can’t vote in it.
But Miriam Steinberg has since dropped out of the special election, meaning Grant is running only against Matthews, a virtual phantom candidate who has nothing to indicate that he actually wants to win the seat. Grant was elected to the seat in 2010, re-elected in 2012 and again last year, before the results were negated.
Early voting takes place in Hillsborough through April 18, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., at any of these locations:
- Fred B. Karl County Center, 16th Floor, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa.
- Robert L. Gilder Elections Service Center, 2514 N. Falkenburg Road., Tampa.
- Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave., Tampa.
-
Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd., Tampa.
Early voting in Pinellas County runs through April 18, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., at these locations:
- Election Service Center, 13001 Starkey Road, Largo.
- Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court St., Room 117, Clearwater.
- County Building, 501 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg.
