Ryan Ray
Two very different state House seats drew new Democratic challengers last week and on Monday, according to filings with the Florida Division of Elections.
State Rep. Rene Plasencia, a Republican from the Orlando area, will face at least one challenger from the other side of the aisle in his quest for a third term representing the closely competitive District 49, consisting of part of Orange County along the I-4 corridor in the center of the state.
The district offers Democrats a voter registration advantage, but Plasencia knocked off then-Rep. Joe Saunders last year amid low turnout in the November midterms.
Democrats there hope Augustin “Gus” Martinez, who runs a religious charity aiding the homeless, can rally the Democratic faithful. Saunders told SaintPetersblog last month he is considering a run in his old seat, a race where he would immediately become the Democrats’ frontrunner.
Meanwhile in a race with a very different electoral complexion, two Democrats are engaged in a primary to succeed term-limited Rep. Hazelle “Hazel” Rogers in deep-blue District 95, based in Broward County’s Lauderdale Lakes.
Patrick Jabouin Sr. has opened a campaign account to run there, joining fellow Democrat Roxanne Valies, who filed paperwork to run for the House in March.
Jabouin was a community outreach liaison with Broward Sheriff Scott Israel‘s office as of 2013. He is also a former president of the Caribbean American Democratic Club of Broward County, according to Brittany Wallman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
(Update 5/20: Story was revised to reflect that Martinez is running in District 49, not District 39 as was originally reported in his Division of Elections paperwork.)
