Jacob Ogles
Barely a month out from an August Primary, Johnnie “Buck” Lloyd has withdrawn from a House District 84 race. Lloyd had been challenging incumbent Rep. Dana Trabulsy, a Fort Pierce Republican.
“This decision has not been made lightly,” Lloyd wrote in an email to the Division of Elections.
“I firmly believe that our party and our country are at a critical juncture where unity and collaboration are more important than ever. By withdrawing my candidacy and supporting Representative Trabulsy, I hope to facilitate a more cohesive and united front, enabling us to focus on the common goals and values that bind us together.”
Buck had reported just $1,840 in his campaign account, all of it self-funded, since his June entry into the race.
His withdrawal notably came days after the National Rifle Association’s political arm endorsed Trabulsy in the Aug. 20 Primary and gave her an “A” grade for her voting record.
In his email to the state, Lloyd also said he had met personally with Trabulsy and would support her candidacy.
“I am confident that she is the best person to continue representing District 84,” Lloyd wrote. “Her dedication, vision, and commitment to our community have convinced me that she is the right choice to lead us forward.”
Trabulsy welcomed the news.
“I’m grateful to Johnnie Lloyd for his willingness to unify our party around one nominee for State Representative before the Primary and I’m looking forward to working with him, and all our St. Lucie County Republicans, to help deliver victories up and down the ticket come this November,” she said.
Lloyd’s withdrawal means Trabulsy has won her Primary now unopposed. But she still faces Democrat Andi Poli in the General Election. Poli has raised more than $22,000 for the race, while Trabulsy has raised more than $171,000 in her campaign account.
Trabulsy won election to the House in 2020, unseating Democratic Rep. Dolores Hogan Johnson. In one of the closest races of that legislative cycle, she won with about 53% of the vote.
But redistricting has made for a more Republican-friendly district. She won re-election in 2022 with more than 61% of the vote over Democrat Franklin Blanton. The margin likely was helped by Republican overperformance statewide that year, but just over 51% of voters in the district also favored Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential Election.
