Drew Wilson
About 19,000 mail ballots have been sent out for the special general election to replace former Rep. Dan Raulerson in Hillsborough County-based HD 58.
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer announced the mailing in a Wednesday press release, adding that voters have until Dec. 13 to request a mail ballot.
Voters expecting to receive a ballot in the mail can track whether it has been sent on the supervisor’s website. Voters can also confirm online whether the supervisor’s office has received their completed ballot.
Election Day is Dec. 19, and early voting is set to run from Dec. 10 through Dec. 16. In order to participate in the election, would-be voters need to have registered by Nov. 20.
Four candidates are on the ballot: Republican Lawrence McClure, Democrat Jose Vasquez, Libertarian Bryan Zemina and no-party candidate Ahmad Saadaldin.
McClure, who defeated Yvonne Fry 55-45 in a contentious primary battle, is the odds-on favorite to win the seat given HD 58’s Republican majority.
In addition to having a favorable electorate, McClure also holds a commanding lead in the fundraising race. Through Nov. 6, he had raised $148,000 and had about $12,500 on hand, while his closest competitor, Saadaldin, had raised just under $12,000 and had about $4,000 on hand through the same date.
HD 58 includes Plant City, Temple Terrace, Dover, Mango, Seffner, Thonotosassa, and parts of Tampa and East Lake-Orient Park.
Raulerson represented the district until he announced in August that he would be leaving the legislature due to health reasons.
