Tight Contests in Special Elections for House and Senate Seats

While South Floridians went to the polls on Tuesday to vote in special elections for two legislative seats, both races were very close and the House election could be headed for a recount. Turnout was extremely light with only 6 percent of the registered voters in the districts in Miami-Dade County showing up at the polls and a paltry 1.6 percent of the eligible voters in Broward County casting ballots in the House race.

Frederica Wilson vacated her seat in the Senate, which represented parts of Miami-Dade County, when she won election to Congress, and four former state representatives -- Oscar Braynon, Phillip Brutus, James Bush and Darryl Reaves -- ran in the Democratic primary on Tuesday to take on Republican candidate, former North Miami mayor, Joe Celestin in March.

Braynon emerged victorious on Tuesday but -- despite his considerable financial advantage -- it was a close race. Braynon took 41.3 percent with 4,068 votes with Brutus right behind him, taking 38.9 percent with 3,824. Bush placed third with 1,163 votes, 11.8 percent of the total votes cast. Reaves placed last with 783 votes which was 8 percent of the total.

The special election for the House seat Braynon vacated to run for the Senate proved even closer. With three Democrats running in the special election for the House seat, which was open to all voters, whoever won would be headed to Tallahassee.

Former Miami Gardens City Councilwoman Sharon Pritchett led the pack with 1,665 votes which is 41.6 percent of all votes. Former Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Barbara Watson, who also served on the City Council, was 14 votes behind Pritchett, with 1,651 votes, 41.3 percent of the total. Erhabor Ighodaro, an educator who served as the chief of staff to the late Robert Ingram, a former member of the Miami-Dade County school board, placed a distant third with 684 votes, taking 17.1 percent of the total vote.

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