Staff Reports
A special primary election to replace former Sen. Jeff Clemens will be held Jan. 30, with a special general election April 10, meaning Senate District 31 will have no representation during the 2018 Legislative Session.
Gov. Rick Scott signed an executive order, announced Monday night, calling for the special elections. The 2018 Session is slated to run Jan. 9-March 9.
Clemens, a 47-year-old Lake Worth Democrat, resigned Oct. 27—less than a day after news that he had had an extramarital affair with a South Florida lobbyist.
He was the Senate’s Democratic Leader-designate, having been first elected in 2012 after one term in the House.
The election dates matched a request by Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, a former Democratic state House member.
Former state Rep. Irv Slosberg has said he will run for the open Senate seat, as has current state Rep. Lori Berman, a Lantana Democrat.
Other Democrats expressing an interest in the seat include state Rep. David Silvers and Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein.
The winner of the special election would serve the remainder of the term Clemens’ won last year, which runs through Election Day 2020.
Material from the News Service of Florida was used in this report.
