Fourth Republican files to replace termed-out HD 119 Rep. Jeanette Nuñez
Rep. Jeanette Nunez, R-Miami, speaker pro tempore of the Florida House, calls on a legislator Tuesday April 4, 2017 at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)

Jeanette Nunez

A fourth Republican has filed for the House District 119 seat currently held by Rep. Jeanette Nuñez, who faces term limits in 2018.

Analeen “Annie” Martinez opened her campaign account Wednesday, joining Juan Alfonso Fernandez-Barquin, Enrique Lopez and BibianaBibiPotestad in what is now a four-way GOP primary for Miami-Dade County seat.

Martinez is a committeewoman in the Miami-Dade GOP and currently works as an office coordinator for Florida International University.

Lopez, who filed in March, is the current fundraising leader with about $21,000 on hand through the end of October, including $4,000 in loans, however Potestad has nearly matched his total in half the time.

Since filing in July the Cuban-born attorney has raised about $19,100, including $3,000 in loans, and has $16,753 on hand.

Fernandez-Barquin, a real estate attorney, filed earlier this month and has not yet had to file a campaign finance report. His and Martinez’ first campaign finance reports, covering November, are due by Dec. 11.

Also running for the seat in 2018 is no-party candidate Daniel Sotelo, who filed earlier this month.

HD 119 covers part of inland Dade, including Kendall, and has a heavy Republican lean.

About 34 percent of the electorate are registered Republicans, compared to a 30 percent share for Democrats, while nearly 35 percent of voters have no party affiliation.

Nuñez has held the seat since it was redrawn in 2012, when her only general election competition came from a write-in candidate. In 2014 she bested Democrat Milagro Ruiz with 61 percent of the vote, and last year she took 57 percent of the vote against Democrat Jeniffer Pinell.

Peter Schorsch

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including Florida Politics and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Schorsch is also the publisher of INFLUENCE Magazine. For several years, Peter's blog was ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.


One comment

  • Karl Nurse

    November 24, 2017 at 8:57 pm

    A district that is 34% republican, 30% democratic and 35% independent should be a competitive district. In an open seat is a time of great unrest, it is hard to know in advance what the results will be.

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