After a single term in the House, Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, is crossing the Capitol rotunda for the 2013 session.
In a wildly negative contest, Brandes defeated House Majority Whip Jim Frishe, R-St. Petersburg, Tuesday for the new District 22 seat in South Tampa and south Pinellas in a battle that played heavy in the statewide fight for the 2016 Senate presidency.
Frishe, a real estate broker in his second stint in the House, has been backed by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who is challenging Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, for the future Senate leadership role.
Besides the divide among the current legislators, the race was a microcosm of state of politics in Florida, as former Gov. Jeb Bush backed Brandes and former Gov. Bob Martinez was in the Frishe camp.
Brandes, whose family founded Cox Lumber, brings to the Senate a military background, having served in the Army Reserves during the Iraq war in 2003.
Brandes was able to pump $500,000 of his own money into the campaign and raised another $205,095, while Frishe raised $306,630. Brandes spent $421,240 while Frishe spent $243,538.
But the contest drew more from electioneering groups.
On the Brandes side, ads have come from Accountability in Government, which has drawn money from similar groups supported by Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and Negron.
Negrons Alliance for a Stronger Economy gave $140,000.
Frishe got support from the Committee to Protect Florida, which received $100,000 from Latvalas Florida Leadership Fund.
Brandes faces a blank ballot in the fall, with the lone opponent a write-in candidate.
Democrats, despite President Obama carrying the district in 2008, fielded no candidate.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
