Scott Powers
Democratic Rep. Kamia Brown has been once again reelected without opposition, which she considers a blessing considering everything else going on.
Brown is expecting her first child in September. With the coronavirus crisis making contact risky for her, and with the national unrest inspiring her to work on reform efforts for Florida law enforcement and racial divisions, she figured she could do without a long summer and fall of campaigning.
“I continue saying, ‘Thank you Lord, thank you Lord,'” Brown said Friday after the qualifying deadline passed and no one filed late to force her into having to campaign for reelection pregnant, or with an infant, during a pandemic. “I am very grateful that no one jumped into this race.”
Brown will serve a third term representing a swath of northwest Orange County that includes her hometown of Ocoee, and parts of Apopka, Winter Garden and Pine Hills. It’s the second time she has won a term on qualifying day without opposition.
She attributed her lack of challengers to her efforts to remain engaged in the community, to have an open-door policy to all, and to vote for the district’s needs.
“Folks have always been able to count on me to really be there for them,” Brown said. “My vote record shows I vote on behalf of my district, and I guess this was my reward. I hope I will be able to serve them not only through this term but through the next term.”
In the past couple of Legislative Sessions, Brown was the ranking member on Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee and also served on the Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee, the Health & Human Services Committee, and the Health Quality Subcommittee.
In fact, Brown has never had a general election opponent in the Democrat-rich HD 45. However to get the seat she had to win what was a brutal 2016 primary battle against four other Democrats.
