Ryan Nicol
Rep. Emily Slosberg-King, a Boca Raton Democrat, announced Monday she would not seek re-election to the House in 2022.
Slosberg-King is serving her third term representing House District 91. She’s eligible to run once more in 2022 before facing term limits. But in a written statement Monday, Slosberg-King said she’ll step aside.
“My call to public service began after my twin sister, Dori, was tragically killed in a car accident. Since then, I’ve led the charge on laws that save lives and policies to better our state,” Slosberg-King said.
“I’m proud of the accomplishments we’ve achieved and the challenges we’ve overcome to improve the lives of my constituents and our communities. It’s time to pass the baton, so I can focus on my family, professional obligations and personal goals.”
Slosberg-King — like her father Irv Slosberg before her — has focused on driving safety issues during her legislative career. In 2019, Slosberg-King co-sponsored a bill banning texting while driving in Florida. Slosberg-King also unsuccessfully pushed additional safe driving legislation during her tenure, but the texting-while-driving ban was a big win for the South Florida Democrat.
This year, she is co-sponsoring a proposal (HB 179) that would allow school districts to install cameras on school buses to catch drivers who illegally pass buses as students are exiting. Though the House bill has not received a committee hearing, the Senate companion (SB 702) has advanced through two committees.
Additionally, she was selected to serve as the ranking member on the Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee ahead of the 2022 Session. That committee was established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Slosberg-King won the HD 91 seat in 2016, succeeding her father in the House seat by easily defeating write-in candidate Kelley Howell in the General Election. Slosberg-King won re-election in 2018 unopposed. In 2020, she handily defeated Republican candidate Sayd Hussein 64%-36%.
The state is currently undergoing the decennial redistricting process, which is changing the shape and numbers of House districts. The House’s current proposal, however, would have kept Slosberg-King in the new HD 91, but with different boundaries.
Slosberg-King’s decision doesn’t appear to be motivated solely by the redistricting plans. According to Matthew Isbell of MCI Maps, although the district loses some of its Democratic edge, it will remain Democrat-leaning.
Voters in the new HD 91 went for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential contest 52% to Donald Trump’s 47%. That compares to the 59% Biden earned in Slosberg-King’s current district. Voters in the new HD 91 also favored Andrew Gillum over Ron DeSantis 53%-46% in the 2018 gubernatorial contest.
Republican candidate Christina DuCasse was the only other candidate filed in the HD 91 race as of Monday, though that will likely change with Slosberg-King stepping away.
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Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
