While he has his eye on making a bid to serve as the president of the Florida Senate after the 2016 elections, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, has to first hold off a Republican primary challenger and defeat a Democratic candidate in November -- and the veteran legislator appears to be in excellent shape to keep his seat.
In what is shaping up as one of the more intriguing legislative contests in November, Rep. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, is matched against Republican Will McBride in a contest for the SD 14 open seat in Central Florida that represents parts of Orange County. Both candidates have open shots at their partys nominations with no opponents in the Aug. 14 primary election.
As incumbents bow out of office, two Republican candidates appear poised to win open state Senate seats in the northern half of the Sunshine State come November.
With an open shot at the Republican nomination as current incumbent, Steve Oelrich runs for Congress; attorney Rob Bradley, who rose to become chairman of the Clay County Commission, is a heavy favorite to win an open seat in SD 7, representing Alachua, Baker and Clay counties.
With Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, heading to the sidelines due to term limits, a crowded field of Democrats -- including three representatives who served together in the Florida House -- are battling it out in the Aug. 14 primary.
Five Democrats are running for the SD 39 seat, which stretches across Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
After running for the Florida Senate and coming up short in 2010, former Rep. Carl Domino is looking to return to the state House, but he has to defeat four opponents in the Republican primary first.
As he seeks a second term in the Florida House, Rep. Steve Perman, D-Boca Raton, faces a primary challenge from the man he replaced -- former Rep. Kevin Rader.
In 2010, Rader, who was elected to the House in 2008, ran unsuccessfully for the Florida Senate, allowing Perman to run for the open seat. Now they are clashing in the primary on Aug. 14.
Two Republicans battling it out in the Aug. 14 primary for an open state Senate seat representing parts of the First Coast scored major endorsements on Wednesday.
Tom Slade, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF), announced on Wednesday that he is backing former Rep. Aaron Bean over Rep. Mike Weinstein, R-Jacksonville, for the SD 4 seat that represents all of Nassau and parts of Duval County.
Trying to jump from the Florida House to the state Senate, Rep. Joe Abruzzo, D-Wellington, has the financial edge over two Republicans clashing in the primary to see who will challenge him.
As a result of the Legislatures redistricting process earlier in the year, the new Senate district contains most of Palm Beach County encompassing the western part of it, including Belle Glade and Wellington, but only including a little bit of the coastal communities around Palm Beach Gardens.
With Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, facing term limits, a competitive battle is shaping up between two strong candidates battling it out in the Democratic primary to replace him in representing parts of Orange County in the Florida Senate.
With a month to go until the primary on Aug. 14, Rep. Geri Thompson, D-Orlando, has a slight financial edge over Democratic rival Victoria Siplin, a businesswoman and former legislative staffer who is married to the current holder of the Senate seat.
Sometimes, politicians can find some success when they leave one office for a smaller one. While he does not rank as one of the great presidents, John Quincy Adams is remembered for his service in the U.S. House as one of the leading foes of slavery after he was booted from the White House in the 1828 elections. After losing his U.S. Senate to George Smathers, Floridas own Claude Pepper served decades in the U.S. House. Even Jerry Brown served as mayor of Oakland and attorney general of the Golden State in-between gubernatorial terms and presidential bids.
