Another special election another Red to Blue statehouse flip. An unopposed Republican this year is an instance of political malpractice. EVERY Republican EVERYWHERE should have a Dem challenger.
Democrats flipped a GOP-held Florida state House seat on Tuesday, handing the party its 36th state legislative pickup nationwide since Donald Trump won the presidency.
Democrat Margaret Good, an attorney, defeated Republican James Buchanan, son of Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), 52 percent to 45 percent. Libertarian Alison Foxall received 3 percent of the vote.
“Representative-elect Margaret Good’s campaign was dedicated to the people of Sarasota County who are tired of Florida Republicans peddling a Trump agenda counter to their values,” Jessica Post, executive director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said in a statement. “Rep.-elect Good went door-to-door, talking with voters about affordable health care, fully funded public schools, safeguarding LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, and protecting Florida’s beautiful environment.”
The district voted for Trump over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton by about 5 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election.
The special election was prompted by the August resignation of state Rep. Alex Miller, a Republican, midway through her first term. Miller won the Sarasota seat in November 2016 by about 16 percentage points.
