Former Islamorada Mayor Jim Mooney joins race to replace Holly Raschein

Holly Raschein broke with her party to vote against a ban on sunscreen ban.

Islamorada Councilman and former Mayor Jim Mooney has joined the House District 120 race to replace term-limited Rep. Holly Raschein.

Mooney joins attorney Alexandria Suarez as the only two candidates filed in the contest so far. Both are Republicans.

Mooney says he began considering a 2020 run about two years ago, when several of his would-be constituents suggested he run for the seat once it becomes open.

Though he didn’t commit then to running in 2020, Mooney says that as the time to file got closer, he warmed to the idea of representing the district in Tallahassee.

“I love the state of Florida, bottom line,” Mooney said. “So for me it’s not just about the district.”

Aside from serving on the Islamorada Council, Mooney also works in real estate for Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty. The 68-year-old has about 18 years experience in real estate.

Mooney called Gov. Ron DeSantis a “rock star” with his work on Everglades Restoration, Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Bay. Should Mooney win the seat, he says he’s looking forward to building on the work of his predecessor.

“The biggest thing is to continue the hard work that Holly’s put in the last eight years,” Mooney said.

Suarez, his only opponent so far, originally filed to run in Senate District 39. But when Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez was courted by GOP leadership to jump into the SD 39 contest, Suarez moved over to the HD 120 race.

She was able to pull in more than $19,000 in her most recently available fundraising filing.