Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
More lawmakers are gearing up for a re-election bid.
State elections records show dozens of members of the state House and Senate have filed to run for re-election in 2018, and several more are looking ahead to 2020.
Sen. Greg Steube is one of those lawmakers who is starting to think about his next race. The Sarasota Republican filed to run for re-election in Senate District 23 on Jan. 10. Steube replaced Sen. Nancy Detert, winning the seat after a hard-fought Republican primary last year.
When it comes to 2018, House members are staking their claim on their seats for another two years.
Rep. Ramon Alexander filed to run for re-election on Jan. 6. The Tallahassee Democrat currently represents House District 8. And Alexander isn’t the only freshman thinking about the future.
Rep. Ralph Massulo filed to run for re-election in House District 34. The Lecanto Republican filed to run for re-election on Jan. 9. Meanwhile, Rep. Joe Gruters, a Sarasota Republican, filed to run for re-election in House District 73 on Jan. 5.
Gruters filing is notable because some Florida campaign watchers have questioned whether he leave office once President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office later this month. Gruters was an early supporter of the New York Republican, and there has been some speculation that he will take a job within the Trump administration.
Rep. Ross Spano, a Dover Republican, filed to run for re-election in House District 59 on Jan. 4; while Rep. Bryan Avila, a Hialeah Republican representing House District 111, filed to run again on Jan. 11.
It’s not just incumbents getting an early start on 2018. Democrat David Poulin, who challenged Rep. Ben Albritton in 2016, filed to run in House District 56. Albritton can’t run again in 2018 because of term limits. Andy Warrener, a no party affiliation candidate, filed to run against Tampa Republican Rep. James Grant; while Libertarian Spenser Garber is planning to challenge Rep. Jayer Williamson, a first-term lawmaker, in House District 3.
And Sen. Tom Lee could have primary challenger. John Houman, a Thonotosassa Republican, filed to run in Senate District 20 on Jan. 9.
Houman ran in Senate District 19 in 2016. At the time, the self-described “Mr. Manners” described his ideology and background in a lengthy post on his website— Mr-Manners.com.
On his website, he admitted to having a felony DUI, even saying he petitioned to have his civil rights restored in 2008. He said at the time he would bring several ideas — including streamlining government regulation — with him to Tallahassee, outlining 33 points in his so-called “Manifesto de Leadership.”
Lee, a Brandon Republican, was re-elected in June 2016, after no one else qualified to run in his district. Houman, who faced Darryl Rouson in his 2016 Florida Senate bid, received 69,875 votes (about 33 percent) to Rouson’s 141,305 votes (about 67 percent).
2 comments
Chris Melvin
January 13, 2017 at 1:08 pm
You spelled Representative Massullo from District 34’s last name wrong.
sandyo
January 13, 2017 at 2:55 pm
Think any of the Repub legislators care about The Common Good (the Rest of us)?
Ask them Why they don’t INSIST that the socially and economically win-win HCR 109 and SCR 194, ratification/ vote for the Equal Rights Amendment DOES NOT GET EVEN A HEARING, now after 17 nonstop, solid , for Free, 12/7 we 300 000 do to get rid of Sex Discrimination (rape/ women losing 20% of wages to corporations compared to our fine men’s …..and so much moooore) !
“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex”..benefits males, too, And we struggle for their rights, too! THIS JUST MAKES SEX DISCRIMINATION BECOME A VIOLATION of the US Constitution…who ? could be against that…well, THE OTHER PARTY, that’s who.
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