Jacob Ogles
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat, has filed for re-election to the Legislature.
The move sidelines much of the speculation the Orlando Democrat has her eye on a run for Congress.
“It’s official: our new district via redistricting for the 2022 Election Cycle will be House District 42,” Eskamani tweeted at the close of the Legislative Session.
The two-term Representative confirmed to Florida Politics she intends to seek re-election. Asked if she has ruled out a run for Congress, she replied, “I am running for re-election and very focused on getting to know our new district and finishing my Ph.D. at UCF!”
That’s more academically confident than politically committed. But while there’s talk about Eskamani running to succeed U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, Florida’s 7th Congressional District leans Republican on a map passed by the Legislature. With Gov. Ron DeSantis, however, threatening a veto, there’s little certainty about the terrain moving forward regardless.
Eskamani was initially elected in the existing HD 47, flipping it from Republican control to Democrat in the 2018 midterms by defeating Republican Stockton Reeves. The seat was open, and she succeeded GOP Rep. Mike Miller, a candidate for Congress at the time.
The incumbent shared a picture of herself holding new election work, transferring her candidacy Monday to the new HD 42. That’s the seat analogous to her own on a new House map (H 8013) passed by the Legislature and approved by the Florida Supreme Court for use in the 2022 elections.
“This is similar to HD 47, except it also includes the town of Eatonville and the City of Maitland,” she told Twitter followers.
The new district contains almost the entirety of Eskamani’s current turf. A portion of her existing district between U.S. 441 and Fairview Shores shifts into the new House District 40 to the west, while it picks up territory north to the Seminole County line.
There’s one constituent in that district she already knows.
Of note, HD 42 also includes the home of Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil, a former Maitland Commissioner elected to the House in the same class as Eskamani. Will this prompt a Democratic primary between two incumbent members of the Florida House?
Goff-Marcil could not be reached for comment. Eskamani said she has talked with her colleague about the decision to seek re-election.
“Yes, of course,” she said. “I am confident it will sort itself out.”
Most of Goff-Marcil’s existing House District 30 is in the new House District 38. But then, that district also includes the home of Republican Rep. David Smith.
