Name: Here are South Florida’s state legislative races to watch
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Here are South Florida’s state legislative races to watch

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AdvertisementBy South Florida Sun-SentinelAug 03, 2020 at 11:22 amThe Florida Legislature will be making some tough decisions as the coronavirus pandemic sends the state’s revenues plummeting.Several key races are on the Aug. 18 ballot that will shape who is representing South Florida when the Legislature takes a hard look at funding for education, affordable housing and the environment.AdvertisementRepublicans are firmly in control in Tallahassee, holding 23 of the 40 Senate seats. In the House, Republicans control 73 of the 120 seats.But South Florida is a bastion of Democratic support. Given the region’s political makeup, several races will likely be decided on Aug. 18 in the primary election.AdvertisementSenate District 29 Democratic primary: Sen. Kevin Rader’s last-minute decision not to seek re-election in this heavily Democratic district set up a clash between a political veteran and a one-term legislator., a 52-year-old lawyer, is backed by Rader and has secured a long list of endorsements from key Democratic players, spanning from U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch to Florida Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson.She’s facing, 72, who served 12 years in the Florida House.Polsky’s House district overlaps much of Senate District 29, which includes Boca Raton, Highland Beach, West Boca, West Delray and portions of Broward County west of Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach.Slosberg is touting his record as a legislator as the reason why voters should send him back to Tallahassee. He worked on traffic safety legislation that secured money for guardrails and championed Florida’s mandatory seat belt law.Polsky says she has served her constituents well with unemployment and coronavirus testing problems, and she is ready to keep tackling those issues in the Senate.The winner faces Republican Brian Norton in November.House District 81 Democratic primary: Polsky’s bid for the Senate has opened up a vacancy in her heavily Democratic House district.Advertisement, 57, a former state representative, is facing off against , a 47-year-old criminal defense attorney making a first-time run for elected office.Skidmore served four years in the Florida House from 2006 to 2010, leaving to make an unsuccessful bid for state Senate. Before that, she served as a legislative aide.Weinstein is the son of former state senator and Broward County chief judge Peter Weinstein.On the issues, the two are similarly aligned. Both support tougher gun control measures, criminal justice reform and abortion rights.One area of contention involves Skidmore’s residency just outside the district, which includes areas of West Boca, West Delray and West Boynton, as well as Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay.Weinstein says voters should choose someone who lives in the district. But Skidmore says she knows the issues facing the community from her years of service in Tallahassee, and she’ll move into the district if she wins.AdvertisementOn the Republican side, Silmo Moura, a Realtor and pastor is running against Saulis Banionis, a doctor in Wellington who specializes in pain management.District 88 Democrat primary: Incumbent Al Jacquet is facing a serious challenge from Lake Worth Beach Commissioner .Jacquet, who is seeking a third term, has come under fire for referring to Hardy as a “batty boy,” an anti-gay slur used in the Caribbean to describe a homosexual person. A found that Jacquet hadn’t maintained a district office for six months and wasn’t responding to the state about election law violations.Hardy, 30, has amassed a large social media presence, racking up more than 175,000 followers, thanks in part to about the city-operated utility system shutting off power for customers with unpaid bills during the coronavirus pandemic.Others candidates in the race are: Cedrick Thomas, a former councilman and police officer in Riviera Beach; , an attorney making a first-time run for office; and radio host Philippe Louis Jeune.The winner of this primary will face Republican Danielle Madsen and independent Rubin Anderson in November.AdvertisementSenate District 35 Democratic primary: A crowded field is vying for this seat representing a district that straddles the Broward and Miami-Dade line and includes West Park, Pembroke Park, Miramar, Miami Gardens and Opa-locka.Sen. Oscar Braynon II of Miami Gardens is leaving because of term limits. and are seen as the favorites in this race. Jones, 36, served eight years in the state House. He is Florida’s first openly gay Black lawmaker.Campbell, a Haitian-American, served eight years in the Florida Legislature, including two years a state senator.Her political career hasn’t been without scandal. After Hurricane Irma, Campbell, 63, cited her “sick mother” in a text message to a Florida Power &amp; Light lobbyist as a reason why her power needed to be restored. Campbell’s mother was dead,. A staffer defended the texts by saying in Caribbean culture, elders are often referred to as “mother,” and she was referring to a friend.Campbell lost a close race for state Senate in 2018 to Sen. Jason Pizzo.AdvertisementOther contenders are Wilbur Harbin of Miramar, a retired battalion chief with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue; Erhabor Ighodaro of Miami Gardens, a commissioner in that city: , of Miami Gardens, an attorney; and , a former small business owner and former commissioner from Miami Gardens.The Republicans are not fielding a candidate in this district.House District 95 Democratic primary: is facing a tough challenge in this district, which crosses Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Margate, North Lauderdale, Plantation, Sunrise and Tamarac.Two years ago, Omphroy, 42, won the seat when the incumbent state Rep. Barrington Russell failed to file his papers.Now, she’s facing , a 30-year-old political activist who has raised more than twice the campaign cash as Omphroy.One area of disagreement between the candidates involves a bill requiring parental consent for minors under the age of 18 to have an abortion. Omphroy was one of five House Democrats who voted in favor of the bill. Rogers-Shaw said she would have voted against it.AdvertisementA Republican candidate is not in the race.Senate District 33 Democratic primary: A political group with ties to a prominent Republican consultant using secretive dark money to flood this race with mailers attacking incumbent Sen. Perry Thursday, .Thurston, 59, has been elected to head the Senate Democratic Caucus for the 2022-2024 legislative term.The mailers accuse of being a closeted Republican in this overwhelmingly Democratic central Broward district. The News Service tied those attacks to Republican consultant William Stafford Jones.Thurston disputes that characterization and says he has fought hard for expanded health care, marriage equality and other liberal causes.Thurston is being challenged by , and Shelton Pooler. The Republicans did not put up a candidate in this district.AdvertisementHouse District 101 Democratic primary: Three candidates are vying to succeed Rep. Shevrin Jones, who is leaving this district because of term limits and to run for state Senate. The district includes Miami Gardens and parts of Miramar and Pembroke Pines.Twice-weeklyA lunch-hour look at what's trending in Florida politics. &gt; Jones is backing , vice mayor of West Park and director of a county minority builders’ coalition.Also running for this seat are Pembroke Park Mayor and , a retired social services administrator from Hollywood.The winner will face Vincent “Vinny” Parlatore in the general election in November.House District 96 Democratic primary: This is seat was held by Rep. Kristin Jacobs, who died of colon cancer in April at the age of 60.Parkland Mayor is the favorite. She is facing , an employee of the Best Buy Geek Squad and president of Broward’s ACLU chapter.AdvertisementRepublicans did not put up a candidate.Skyler Swisher can be reached at , 561-243-6634 or @SkylerSwisher. Advertisement

AdvertisementBy South Florida Sun-SentinelAug 03, 2020 at 11:22 amThe Florida Legislature will be making some tough decisions as the coronavirus pandemic sends the state’s revenues plummeting.Several key races are on the Aug. 18 ballot that will shape who is representing South Florida when the Legislature takes a hard look at funding for education, affordable housing and the environment.AdvertisementRepublicans are firmly in control in Tallahassee, holding 23 of the 40 Senate seats. In the House, Republicans control 73 of the 120 seats.But South Florida is a bastion of Democratic support....

Here are South Florida’s state legislative races to watch

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