Drew Wilson
Fleming Island Republican Sen. Rob Bradley has moved his re-election campaign into the newly redrawn Senate District 5 and is, so far, the only candidate in the race.
Bradley represents District 7, which is made up of Alachua, Clay and Bradford counties, but new maps approved by Florida Courts at the end of 2015 shifted the first term senator into SD5.
The new district is made up of 10 entire counties, including Bradley’s home in Clay County, as well as a small portion of Southwest Marion County.
So far, the Senate Regulated Industries Committee chairman is the only candidate running for the seat, which leans toward GOP candidates.
According to the district plan, about 44 percent of registered voters in the district are Republicans, compared with a 40 percent share for the Democrats. About one in six District 5 voters don’t belong to a major party.
While the split is already favorable for GOP candidates, past election results show the seat is a solid lock for Republicans. Mitt Romney took 72 percent of the vote in the district four years ago, and former U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV garnered 62 percent of the vote in his losing contest against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in the same cycle.
Bradley is one of the better-funded incumbents in the Senate, making a successful challenge to his re-election even more unlikely. Through the end of January, Bradley had about $388,000 on hand in his campaign account, and his political committee, Working for Florida’s Families, has another $331,000 on-hand after bringing in more than $45,000 last month.
