Jacob Ogles
Former state Rep. Joel Rudman’s congressional ambitions didn’t pan out. But eight Republicans jumped at the opening that his departure created in House District 3.
A Republican Primary on Tuesday will determine which candidate in a crowded field becomes the Republican nominee. Former Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles and former Jay Mayor Shon Owens have each spent more than six figures on the seat, with Assistant State Attorney Hayden Hudson also pulling together a respectable number of contributions and endorsements.
But other contenders in the race — Okaloosa County Republican Club President Rena McQuaig, former Okaloosa County Commission candidate Wade Merritt, Assistant State Attorney Joshua Sik, mental health advocate Cindy Smith and Milton veteran Jamie Lee Wells — have all worked the trail and hope to emerge from a fractured field.
The winner of the GOP Primary will advance to a June 10 General Special Election against Democrat Dondre Wise.
Boyles has raised the most outside contributions in the race, reporting more than $151,000 in contributions and spending nearly $111,000 as of March 27.
He has also secured endorsements from Jimmy Patronis, the front-runner for a congressional Special Election in Florida’s Panhandle the same day as the Primary, and from major lobbies in Tallahassee including the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity. Boyles has run on a law-and-order message.
“We are a nation of laws and we must be an active partner in working with President (Donald) Trump and law enforcement in securing our southern border, ending taxpayer incentives that encourage illegal immigration, and deport illegal aliens caught in Florida,” Boyles said. “We must always stand for the rule of law and keep our communities safe and stand up for Americans first, and always.”
Owens, meanwhile, has pulled in about $80,000 in contributions and supplemented that with $41,000 in candidate loans. As of the last reporting period, he had spent more than any candidate in the race, upward of $120,000.
Owens had to resign his seat as Mayor in order to run, and left that office Friday. He also announced endorsements from former U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller and most of the Santa Rosa County Commission, with the race characterized in local media as an Okaloosa-Santa Rosa turf war, even as Owens’ own residency has been called into question, something he addressed in a campaign video.
“I’m standing here at my home in Jay, the one that I built with my own bare hands 25 years ago,” Owens said.
“I’ve spent my entire life in Jay. As you can see, I live right behind Pittman building supply, which brings me to the second lie, that I’m against Second Amendment rights. I’m standing here inside Pittman Building Supply, where I’ve legally sold firearms to the community under this federal firearms license I’ve held for the past 15 years. The third lie questions my stance on illegal immigration and E-Verify. I’m standing here in front of the office of two companies I own. Both of these companies are legally required to use E-Verify, and we follow that requirement strictly.”
Rudman, for his part, endorsed Hudson. So has former U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, an Ocala Republican who used to represent part of Northwest Florida. Hudson has spent more than $31,000 on the race, and reported more than $27,000 in contributions plus a $10,000 candidate loan to fuel his candidacy.
