Ryan Nicol
Jose Felix Peixoto, who attempted a run in House District 120 last cycle, is seeking the seat once again. He becomes the fourth Republican candidate looking to replace term-limited state Rep. Holly Raschein.
Peixoto filed to challenge Raschein in the Republican primary in 2018. But he didn’t make it to Election Day, ceding Raschein a win in the August primary contest.
Peixoto will need to compete with a trio of Republican challengers this time around. Former House candidate Rhonda Rebman Lopez, Islamorada Councilman and former Mayor Jim Mooney and attorney Alexandria Suarez are all seeking to succeed Raschein.
In addition to his 2018 filing in the district, Peixoto has competed in several other races in the region before.
He ran twice in Florida’s 26th Congressional District as an Independent. In 2012, Peixoto garnered 1.1 percent of the vote, finishing fourth behind Democrat Joe Garcia, Republican David Rivera and another Independent candidate, Angel Fernandez.
Peixoto fared a little better in 2016, raking in nearly 6 percent of the vote behind Carlos Curbelo and Garcia. He also sought a CD 26 run in 2014, but ultimately failed to file.
In 2010, Peixoto also ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District.
HD 120 covers Monroe County as well as parts of southern Miami-Dade County.
The race has already begun to take shape, as Lopez netted more than $60,000 upon entering the race in September.
That number already puts her well in the lead in terms of cash on hand, and will put pressure on Peixoto to make a splash in his November fundraising. Those reports would be due by Dec. 10.
Suarez has also accrued more than $26,000 in contributions so far, spending less than $1,000 of that. She formally filed in the contest for Senate District 39, but swapped to the HD 120 race after Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez decided to run for SD 39.
Mooney, meanwhile, has raised less than $4,000 since entering the race in August.
Those totals are accurate through September. Candidates face a Nov. 12 deadline to file reports showing fundraising activity through October.
