Democrat Adam Benna launches HD 114 campaign

South Miami lawyer Adam Benna is launching a campaign for the Democratic nomination in House District 114.

Over the past few months, Benna has been raising money through a political committee; he formally filed paperwork to run earlier this week. According to his campaign team, Benna has amassed nearly $50,000 as of Dec. 31. With the House redistricting plans seemingly setting up HD 114 to be a toss-up district, Benna says he’ll look to win the seat for Democrats in 2022.

“When I talk to residents and neighbors, they are concerned with very local issues,” Benna said in a statement announcing his run. “They are worried about property insurance rates, their rising FPL bills, affordable housing, and affordably converting from septic tanks to sewer lines. Our Representative and the Florida legislature are way off base … fighting ridiculous culture wars that won’t improve the lives of people who live here in Miami-Dade.”

Benna’s team says several Democrats already plan to support Benna’s bid, including former U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala and former Pinecrest Mayor and state Rep. Cindy Lerner.

Republican Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera currently represents HD 114 after winning the open seat in 2020. Busatta Cabrera won the 2020 General Election by nearly nine percentage points as Republicans outperformed expectations in Miami-Dade County.

But with the state going through the decennial redistricting process, HD 114 could become much more competitive this cycle. The House has released two draft plans, each of which turns HD 114 into a clear tossup district, according to analysis from Matthew Isbell of MCI Maps.

Isbell looked at the 2020 presidential results in each proposed HD 114 boundary. One plan gives Republicans an edge of just under 0.3 percentage points. The other has a Democratic lean of just under 0.3 points.

Neither of those proposals are final, and things could still change as lawmakers prepare to meet on Jan. 11 for the 2022 Legislative Session. The new maps will be hammered out during the 60-day Session and will be in effect for 2022.

Busatta Cabrera faces no other challengers for the seat so far. Still, she’s been raising cash and holds more than $118,000 between her campaign account and her political committee as of Nov. 30.