Florida is home to some of the most nail-biting, close races in the November midterms. There is so much at stake. Here’s the 411 on Florida’s primary.
Florida has its statewide primary election on Tuesday, August 28. If you’re a voter in Florida, all the resources you need to vote are listed here; if you’re not in the state, consider sharing this post with friends or on social media to increase awareness and turnout!
Florida Voter Resources
Confirm your voter registration: https://iwillvote.com/
Info for overseas/military voters here
Find your polling place here
Check ID requirements here
Early voting info here
Vote by mail info here
Florida Politics: A Snapshot
• 1 Senator is up for re-election in 2018
• All 27 House Representatives are up for re-election
• Voted +1.2 for Trump in 2016
• Current partisan breakdown of the state legislature:
>>> Governor (R)
>>> State Senate 23 (R) – 16 (D)
>>> State House 75 (R) – 41 (D) plus four vacant seats
Key Races
GOVERNOR
The sitting governor, Rick Scott (R), is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. (However, he is running for the Senate. See below.) The Florida Governor’s race is rated a Toss-Up. The Democrats have a large field of candidates running in the primary; Graham and Levine appear to be the frontrunners at this point. Short bios of all the candidates and their endorsements can be read here. The Democratic candidates’ campaign websites are below:
Andrew Gillum – website
Gwen Graham – website
Jeff Greene – website
Christopher King – website
Philip Levine – website
U.S. SENATE
The race for the Florida Senate seat is proving to be one of the biggest battles in the country this fall. Incumbent Bill Nelson (D) is facing Governor Rick Scott (R) who is term-limited as governor and so is running for the Senate. Rick Scott has personal wealth and access to a ton of Republican money. All three major elections rating outlets consider this race to be a Toss-Up, and the Democrats MUST retain this seat to have any hope of flipping the Senate.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The most competitive House seats, as rated by Cook Political Report, are listed below. These are all good opportunities for the Democrats to flip. Click the link to see a list of Democratic candidates for each district:
District 6 – candidate list
District 15 – candidate list
District 16 – candidate list
District 18 – candidate list
District 25 – candidate list
District 26 – candidate list
District 27 – candidate list
STATE SUPREME COURT
Three judges on the State Supreme Court have to retire due to a law requiring judges to retire by age 70. Judges are named by the governor. This means the next governor will be replacing 3 out of the 7 judges on the bench. A HUGE opportunity.
STATE SENATE
20 of the 40 seats in the Senate are up for re-election this year. If the Democrats win 5 seats, they’ll have the majority, but if Republicans win 3 seats, they’ll have a veto-proof majority. A list of the districts with re-elections and the candidates running for those seats can be found here.
STATE HOUSE
All 120 seats in the House are up for re-election this year. If the Republicans win one more seat in the House, they’ll have a veto-proof majority. A list of the candidates running for the House can be found here.
NOTE: If you’re unsure which state district you’re in, type in your address at Open States to get that info.
A Final Note
For a more complete list of state races in the primary, visit Ballotpedia: Florida Elections 2018. You can enter your address at 411Vote to see a sample ballot. To learn about events featuring candidates running for office, connect with your local chapter of the Florida Democrats.
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