Florida Democrats score upset inĀ Tampa-based state Senate race
Florida Democrats are projected to score an upset in the race to fill a Tampa-based state Senate seat, adding toĀ the partyāsĀ growing number of overperformances and seat flipsĀ in recent months, according to Decision Desk HQ.Ā
Democrat Brian Nathan, a Navy veteran and union leader, defeated RepublicanĀ state Rep. JosieĀ TomkowĀ to helm Florida Senate District 14, which includes part of Hillsborough County.Ā Ā
Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins (R), now a candidate for governor, held the seat before he was tapped by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to serve as his second in command.
In 2022, CollinsĀ defeated DemocratĀ Janet Cruz by 9 percentage points, while the entire county narrowly went for Trump in 2024Ā by 3 points.Ā Ā
The surprising victory comes as The Sunshine State held a handful of other special elections for the state legislature on Tuesday. Democrats were primarily focused on winning Florida House Districtr 87, where Trump votes and his Mar-a-Lago resort is located.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Qualityā Free Actions
Free to watch ā¢ No registration required ā¢ HD streaming
Tuesday's results add more tallies to a trend of Democrats flipping Republican-held seats in state legislatures across the country over the
It's Wednesday. That means Republicans are confronting more bad news about how shitty they did in elections the day before.
In another special election, Donald Trump's Florida State House district flipped from red to blue on Tuesday. Florida House District 87 includes Mar-a-Lago.
Democrats sent a jolt Tuesday through reliably red Florida, flipping two legislative seats including the district containing President Donald Trumpās Mar-a-Lago home.
Democrat Emily Gregory defeated the Trump-endorsed GOP state House candidate in a hotly contested race that had seen Democrats pour money and support into an effort to take hold of the Palm Beach County district. But Democrats also narrowly squeaked out a win in a Tampa state senate seat that had been held by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins until last August.
Florida House District 87 was won by the Republican candidate by 19 points in the 2024 election.
This time the Democrat won by 2.4 points.
One of those 16,316 losing votes for MAGA candidate Jon Maples was that of The Orange One himself. But Trump voted in a typically hypocritical way. (emphasis added)
State election records show that Trump, as well as first lady Melania Trump and Trumpās son Barron, all voted by mail in the House District 87 election. Trump requested his mail-in ballot on March 14, just days after he insisted that the SAVE America Act include limits on mail-in voting. Trump on Monday, during a stop in Memphis, referred to voting by mail as āmail-in cheating.ā
Like most billionaires, Trump thinks convenience is just for oligarchs and not regular people.
But wait, there's more!...
In another special election on the other side of Florida, Democrat Brian Nathan upset Republican Josie Tomkow for a vacant seat in Florida State Senate in District 14.
Brian Nathan, a union leader and veteran, was outspent by roughly 10 to 1 in the race to replace Collins and had received scant support from state Democrats. He narrowly defeated former state Rep. Josie Tomkow, a rancher who had held a House seat in neighboring Polk County. Tomkowās residency had come under question, although she said she planned to move into the district once she was elected. But even Fried acknowledged that Nathanās win was in state Senate District 14 was a surprise.
āWe believe Brian just sent shockwaves across Florida,ā said Shawna Presley Vercher, a consultant for Nathan.
The Florida Phoenix adds...
Tomkow had a huge fundraising lead over Nathan and was a heavy favorite in a district that Collins won by 10 points in 2022, the last time the seat was on the ballot. Donald Trump won it by more than 7 points in 2024.
āI am thrilled to congratulate Senator-Elect Brian Nathan on this shocking victory,ā said FDP Chair Nikki Fried. āBrian is the kind of person we need in the legislature. His history of service as a Navy Veteran and union leader ensures that the needs of everyday people will be at the heart of every vote he takes in Tallahassee.ā
Republicans should be afraid ā very afraid. They have a corrupt and criminally incompetent moron leading their party. They have foolishly decided that it's more important to pander to him than to listen to voters hurt by him.
