Republicans Pick Up Seats In Fla. House, Senate

November 3, 2010

he national Republican wave filtered down Tuesday to the Florida Legislature, where Republicans ousted at least five incumbent Democrats in the House picked up two more seats in the Senate to give them their largest modern majority in that chamber.

Republicans were poised to have 81 of the 120 House seats and in the Senate won two open seats that had been held by Democrats, one in the Tampa Bay area and one in South Florida, giving them a 28-12 majority in the upper chamber.

The gains give the Republicans a veto-proof majority in both chambers, should there be a bright spot for Democrats. In the governor’s race, Democrat Alex Sink could still win – with several votes yet to be counted the race remained too close to call late into the night.

The Senate’s Republican majority is shaping up as the largest by either party since Democrats held a 30-10 advantage over the GOP in 1986. In the House, Republicans held 85 seats in 2006, before Democrats made gains that fall and in 2008.

Two returning members led the way, as former Sen. Jack Latvala retook for Republicans the Tampa Bay area seat held by Democrat Charlie Justice, who was leaving to run for Congress. Latvala defeated Nina Hayden to put the Pinellas County seat back in GOP hands.

Former Rep. Gayle Harrell ousted freshman Adam Fetterman, D-Port St. Lucie, to lead a wave of GOP challengers into the House. Other Democratic House incumbents who were ousted were Rep. Debbie Boyd, D-Newberry, Rep. Janet Long, D-Seminole, Rep. Bill Heller, D-St. Petersburg, and Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota.

The other Senate seat flipped by Democrats was the South Florida seat left open by Dave Aronberg, who quit for an unsuccessful bid for attorney general. Republican Lizbeth Benacquisto won the seat, defeating Democrat Kevin Rader.

As Republican legislative leaders looked at their broadening majority, they were already discussing a veto override session in mid-November to undo some of Gov. Charlie Crist’s vetoes from earlier in the year.

“Tonight’s successes demonstrate the strength of our slate of Republican members and candidates and highlight the fact that Republican values of lower taxes, less spending and limited government continue to resonate with voters across the Sunshine State,” House Speaker-Designate Dean Cannon said Tuesday night. “I look forward to joining our returning members as well as our more than 30 new Republican members as we work to cultivate a fertile economic environment by shrinking the size and scope of government, empowering the individual, and promoting the family.”

Boyd was defeated in House District 11 by Elizabeth Porter in a rematch of a close race in 2008. Long was defeated in House District 51 by Larry Ahern. Jeff Brandes defeated Heller in House District 52, while Ray Pilon beat Fitzgerald in House District 69.

Democrats also failed to win in seats where they had pinned some hopes of bucking what they knew would be a Republican trending night. The party had talked up Katie Edwards as a strong candidate to flip House District 119, which had been held by Republican Juan Zapata. But Edwards was defeated by Republican Frank Artiles.

Democrats had also hoped to unseat Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, in a race in which a Tea Party candidate was also on the ballot. But Dorworth was easily on his way to defeating Democrat Steve Barnes and John DeVries, the tea party candidate.

In the Senate, Republicans held on to two targeted seats, with Sen. Steve Oelrich, D-Alachua, turning back a challenge from Democrat Perry McGriff, and Republican Party Chairman John Thrasher winning his northeast Florida Senate seat against a challenge by Democrat Deborah Gianoulis. Republicans also appeared set to keep control of the South Florida seat being vacated by Senate President Jeff Atwater, with Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff appearing headed for victory.

By David Royse
The News Service Florida

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News