Jacob Ogles
Voters in House District 32 will end the Legislative Session with a different Representative. A Special Election on Tuesday will decide if it’s Democrat Juan Hinojosa or Republican Brian Hodgers.
The winner of the election will succeed former Rep. Debbie Mayfield, an Indialantic Republican who resigned her seat to run for Senate.
Hodgers heads into the election a clear favorite after the insurance company owner won the Republican nomination in a heated April 1 Primary.
Mayfield won election to the seat in November with the support of 64% of voters in the deep red district. Hinojosa, also the Democratic candidate in that election, won less than 36% of the vote. Additionally, more than 59% of voters in HD 32 supported Republican Donald Trump for President over Democrat Kamala Harris.
Hodgers, for his part, has run on pocketbook issues during the Special Election campaign.
“I want to advocate for lower insurance rates and lower taxes, and more affordable housing,” he said. “Florida has an affordability crisis, and I plan to fight for Floridians on this and many issues.”
Hinojosa does have the benefit of effectively having run for the seat since January 2024, when he first filed for the then-open House seat.
The Texas native has stressed his working-class background and military veteran history.
“My message is: ‘Mission first, people always,'” he said. “I want to focus on making the economy better, rather than the stuff that has been taking priority in the state. I think they (the Legislature) have forgotten the needs of people, who are worried about rent, affordable housing, how insurance, both automobile and home insurance, is becoming more expensive. They have focused on other political things instead. I’m a 30-year veteran, very mission-oriented. I want to focus on the needs of Brevard County or the needs of the country.”
But Hodgers enjoys a financial advantage in the race in addition to the district’s right-leaning makeup.
The Republican raised more than $487,000 over the course of the campaign. Of course, most of that was spent in his Primary, where he spent almost $336,000 to earn the nomination in a three-candidate field.
Since the Primary, Hodgers only spent a little over $7,600 through Friday, but he closed the last reporting period with almost $144,000 in cash on hand.
Meanwhile, Hinojosa only raised a little north $1,600 in outside contributions to his campaign and threw a $3,200 candidate loan on top of that. Through Friday, he had spent less than $3,700 on the raise total, and that included a qualifying fee of nearly $1,800.
