Scott Powers
Republican Bobby Olszewski has become the first qualified candidate for the special elections set for later this year to fill the vacant seat for House District 44 in western Orange County.
Olszewski’s campaign said it collected more than 400 petition signatures and on Wednesday the Orange County Supervisor of Elections certified 370, enough to put him on the ballot.
The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 15, with the final election on Oct. 10.
“I couldn’t be more thankful to our great volunteers who helped us reach this goal with our voters in record time,” Olszewski stated in a news release. “My volunteers and I will out and about in our community throughout this election looking to bring our hometown, conservative principles to Tallahassee.”
He is one of four Republicans who have filed for the special election to replace Eric Eisnaugle, who resigned last month to take a gubernatorial appointment to Florida’s 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Also seeking to get on the ballot are Kissimmee Chamber of Commerce President John Newstreet, businessman Bruno Portigliatti, and Dr. Usha Jain, and one Democrat, businessman Paul Chandler.
The district, covering much of west Orange County, is solidly Republican, but Democrats have vowed an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign they hope could make a difference in a low-turnout special election. The seat is particularly attractive to Republicans because of the assumption that the winner could have a leg-up in the quest for the House of Representatives’ speaker’s position, with an 18-month head start in seniority over other members of what will be the House’s class of 2018.
