Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 23-140 calling for a Central Florida special election for Florida House District 35, which includes Orange County and Osceola County. The vacancy was caused by the resignation of State Representative Fred Hawkins.
By issuing an order for a special election in the district, Governor DeSantis has set the dates of November 7, 2023, for the primary election and January 16, 2024, for the general election.
Last month, Representative Fred Hawkins, a Republican, resigned from his position to become president of South Florida State College, creating a vacancy in the Florida Legislature. This is expected to be a crowded special election, and will likely be hotly contested race again in the regular 2024 election.
Three Republicans and three Democrats are already announced candidates for Florida House District 35. The Democrats currently include Rishi Bagga, Tom Keen, and Marucci Guzman. The Republican candidates currently include Scotty Moore, Ken Davenport, and Erika Booth.
A copy of Executive Order 23-140 can be found here:
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