Jacob Ogles
RaShon Young just moved one step closer to succeeding his former boss in the House.
The Orlando Democrat has won a Democratic Primary in House District 40, a seat now held by Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis. With all votes tabulated, Young beat out former Rep. Travaris McCurdy in the Primary with 55.43% of the vote, leading with 2,793 votes to McCurdy’s 2,246.
Young will now advance to a Sept. 2 Special Election against Republican Tuan Le and a write-in candidate.
The short election cycle was largely civil as both Democrats made the case they could best hit the ground running in September, when a new lawmaker takes office weeks ahead of committee meetings for the 2026 Legislative Session.
Bracy Davis had to give up her seat to run for Senate. Young served as Bracy Davis’ top legislative aide before announcing his candidacy.
“I bring more than a platform; I bring a proven commitment, a heart for the people, and a spirit of humility. I’m ready to work. I’m ready to serve. And I’m ready to give my all to make sure every voice in this district is heard and respected in Tallahassee,” he told Florida Politics before the Primary.
He raised more than $42,000 for the race through June 19, and loaned the campaign $1,900 on top of that. He went into the last days of the race with almost $15,000 still in the bank.
McCurdy, who served in the House from 2020 until 2022, raised about $8,400 by comparison. He went into the final stretch of campaigning with just over $5,300 cash on hand.
But he also enjoyed name recognition, from his 2020 win and 2022 loss in neighboring House District 41. He also ran unsuccessfully in a Special Election for the Orlando City Council. But along with his experience as a legislative staffer himself, he said he holds the political experience to win and serve the people the best.
“I’ve stayed up with a hole puncher and three-ring binder, putting notebooks together for a member to study, and I have experience being a member, diving into it and studying it,” he said. “There’s definitely a difference.”
The Democrat heads into the September election a clear front-runner. Bracy Davis in 2024 won re-election in the district over Republican Belinda Ford with 67.5% of the vote.
