Ryan Nicol
Belinda Keiser, vice chancellor of Keiser University, has joined the race to replace Joe Negron in Senate District 25. Keiser will be vying for the Republican nod along with state Rep. Gayle Harrell.
On the Democratic side, only Dr. Rob Levy has announced a run.
It’s an interesting choice for Keiser, who lives in Broward County. SD 25 covers St. Lucie and Martin counties, along with a portion of Palm Beach County.
Keiser University is a private, not-for-profit university with about 20,000 students attending campuses throughout Florida and overseas. In her role as vice chancellor, Keiser works on media relations and charitable giving, among other responsibilities. She has also been appointed to several state government commissions during the tenure of Gov. Rick Scott. Keiser also served as the coordinator of a pro bono lawyer program in Broward County.
Her Republican opponent, Harrell, has already earned Negron’s support after he chose to step away from the state Senate early once his term as president ends. Negron’s term was not set to end until 2020, when he would have been term-limited.
Both Levy and Harrell had planned to run to replace Negron in 2020 but moved up their plans once he announced his decision to step down.
If Keiser can overcome Harrell on the Republican side, she will likely be the favorite in November. Republican Negron won his last election in 2016 by nearly 30 percentage points.
