A.G. Gancarski
Hours after the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Debbie Mayfield was constitutionally eligible to run in the Special Election for Senate District 19, Republican leadership is rallying to their once and likely future colleague.
“While we were looking forward to having Randy Fine’s continued important and historic voice in the Senate, we are incredibly proud of the role he will now play in supporting President Donald Trump’s America First Agenda,” read a joint statement from Senate President Ben Albritton and Senate Leaders Jim Boyd and Jay Trumbull backing Mayfield’s bid to return to the upper chamber.
“The challenges and opportunities that lie ahead will require experienced leadership on behalf of the people we serve, and we are confident Debbie Mayfield will return to the Florida Senate as a reliable supporter of parental rights in education, law and order, and lowering costs for hard working families.”
Fine, who is leaving the Senate to run for an open congressional seat, also endorsed Mayfield, his immediate predecessor, as his successor. Fine said he is “thrilled the Supreme Court repudiated the lawfare against her unanimously” and that he expects her to be a “tireless fighter” for Trump’s agenda.
Fine’s statement is a reference to Mayfield’s belief that Gov. Ron DeSantis “weaponized” Florida’s Department of State in its attempt to disqualify her from the ballot. The Division of Elections argued unsuccessfully that she had served eight consecutive years in the Senate, and that the limited time since her election to the House in November was immaterial.
Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the Division of Elections had disqualified Mayfield from the ballot, citing term limits barring her from seeking the office again. Byrd and his office argued in favor of disqualifying her from the ballot, repeating their claim that running would violate the term limits provisions in the Florida Constitution.
But the high court was not convinced, unanimously ruling that Mayfield’s filing “has met the statutory requirements” and that she “has a clear legal right to appear on the primary ballot.”
Now that she’s back on the ballot, Mayfield will face in the Special Election Primary former Melbourne City Council member Tim Thomas; Marcie Adkins, who challenged Fine for his House seat in 2020; and Mark Lightner III, a University of North Florida business graduate and Brevard County native.
