Scott: No Special Elections to Replace Latvala and Hahnfeldt
Submitted by Nancy Smith on January 18, 2018 - 3:30pm
Neither Sen. Jack Latvala nor Rep. Don Hahnfeldt will be replaced before the November elections, Gov. Rick Scott confirmed Thursday.
The decision leaves those living in Pinellas and Pasco counties in Senate District 16 and The Villages in House District 33 without representation virtually until the end of the year.
Scott told reporters after a Thursday Cabinet meeting, ""We have listened to the supervisors of election for both the races. Their recommendation is that we don't have the special elections, so we're not. We're going to follow their lead." The two seats, which will be on the November ballot, are among six currently vacant in the Legislature.
Republican Latvala, from Clearwater, resigned effective Jan. 5 after two investigations into charges he had sexually harassed lobbyists and staffers at the Capitol. Hahnfeldt, R-The Villages, dies of cancer on Christmas Eve.
Supervisors of elections in the districts affected estimated it would cost more than $1 million to hold the two special elections.
Comments are now closed.