March 29, 2024

2018 Elections

Blue surge or red surprise?

A number of competitive seats statewide could set the tone nationally.

Jason Garcia | 9/27/2018

Florida House


The Big Picture — Thanks in part to Republican gerrymandering and the tendency of Democratic voters to cluster in urban areas, the GOP will maintain control of the House no matter what happens on election day. Including a trio of open seats previously held by Republicans, the GOP holds 78 seats in the 120-member House. While the size of their majority could shrink, it’s in no danger of disappearing — there are, at most, two dozen competitive seats in the chamber — and, in reality, a far smaller subset of those is genuinely competitive this year.

Hot Spots

District 47: The downtown Orlando district, where Democratic activist Anna Eskamani, who insiders in both parties think is a potential star, faces Republican Stockton Reeves.

District 69: Republican Ray Blacklidge faces Democrat Jennifer Webb in the district, which includes St. Pete Beach.

District 93: The coastal Fort Lauderdale district, where Emma Collum, an attorney and Democratic activist, faces Republican County Commissioner Chip LaMarca.

District 103: In this Miami district, Republican Frank Mingo faces Democrat Cindy Polo.

Others: Vulnerable incumbents this fall include Republican Reps. Bob Cortes, who represents a suburban Orlando district; Shawn Harrison, who holds a Tampa seat; and Democratic Rep. Margaret Good, who won a special election earlier this year in district 72 in Sarasota but now faces former Republican Rep. Ray Pilon, who used to hold the seat.

Tags: 2018 Elections

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