Jacob Ogles
Attorney Mike Redondo will run in a Special Election to replace former state Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin.
The founder of Redondo Law filed his paperwork for the House District 118 seat days after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Fernandez-Barquin as the new Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller. Fernandez-Barquin had to give up his seat in the Florida Legislature for the constitutional office, which means a Special Election must be called.
Redondo, a Miami Republican, touted himself as a conservative who would help build upon DeSantis’ leadership in Florida.
“Florida has been at the forefront of defending and protecting freedom,” Redondo said. “As the son of Cuban immigrants, I understand the importance of having leaders in our state who will never back down in the face of radical left-wing attempts to indoctrinate our children and erode our freedoms.”
Redondo is the second Republican to file for HD 118. Coral Gables Republican Christan Chavez, a Miami Beach firefighter, filed earlier this week. That sets up a Republican Primary in the heavily red district.
The Primary will likely determine who next holds the seat. Fernandez-Barquin won re-election to a third term handily in 2022, beating his Democratic challenger 68%-32%. In the Governor’s race in November, nearly 68% of voters supported DeSantis over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.
Redondo stressed conservative bona fides in announcing his candidacy.
“We need to send leaders to Tallahassee who will build on the conservative leadership of our Legislature and Gov. DeSantis and continue to make Florida a nationwide leader in economic growth, parental involvement, fiscal health and preserving liberty for generations to come,” he said.
“That is what our campaign will focus on and I’m excited to share our conservative vision at each and every doorstep in District 118.”
Before founding his law firm, Redondo worked in the Miami office of Holland & Knight, as well as for the boutique law firm Lash & Goldberg. He has represented a number of corporate clients in complex and catastrophic personal injury claims, wrongful death claims, product liability suits, and federal and state securities class actions, his campaign said.
Redondo also has a history in personal injury law, having represented individuals in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases in Austin, Texas. He volunteers with his church and with Paw Patrol Animal Rescue.
