Bobby Payne files for re-election in HD 19

Yet another freshman legislator from Northeast Florida beat the Christmas rush and filed for re-election in 2018.

House District 19 Rep. Bobby Payne, a Palatka Republican who cruised to a 45 point victory over Democrat Hubert Snodgrass in November, filed for re-election on Thursday.

Payne, who survived a competitive primary against former RPOF Chair Leslie Dougher and Katherine Van Zant, likely won’t face such a challenge again through the 2022 election.

Rep. Payne serves on the Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee, the PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee, the Oversight, Transparency, & Administration Subcommittee, the Commerce Committee, and the Energy & Utilities Subcommittee.

That last assignment bears some relation to Payne’s pre-legislative professional life; the Palatka Republican has worked for the Seminole Electric Cooperative for 34 years.

Payne joins early filers, two rookie legislators: Cord Byrd in House District 11 and Jason Fischer in House District 16.

Also filing early: Cyndi Stevenson of House District 17, Travis Cummings in House District 18, and Paul Renner in HD 24.