House Seat 21: Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Palatka, will be leading social conservatives in the House for another two years as he is the only candidate running this year. He represents Putnam County as well as parts of Bradford, Clay, Lake, Marion and Volusia counties.
House Seat 22: Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, boasted at the end of the session that he was looking forward to retirement so there is no incumbent for his seat, representing parts of Alachua, Levy and Marion counties. Three candidates are battling for the Republican nomination to take Cretuls seat and the money is flowing into this race. Former Micanopy Mayor Remzey L. Paul Samarrai raised more than $116,000 and spent $108,000. Businessman Keith Perry, who managed Steve Oelrichs campaign for the Senate, has already spent almost $88,000 and still had just under $20,000 in the bank at the end of July. Funeral-home operations director John Deakins, who managed two of Dennis Baxleys House campaigns, had more than $22,000 at the end of July and spent around $35,000. The winner of the primary will take on Democrat Jon Paugh in the general election. Keep an eye on this primary.
House Seat 23: Rep. Charles Chestnut IV, D-Gainesville, can celebrate. As the only candidate in the race, he has two more years to represent parts of Alachua and Marion counties.
House Seat 24: Former Rep. Dennis Baxley is looking to get back into the House and has the Republican nomination to run for the seat representing parts of Marion County that Rep. Kurt Kelly, R-Ocala, is vacating to run for Congress. Baxley is well-regarded by Republicans and helped lead the Christian Coalition of Florida. But the Baxley campaign has been spending at an alarming rate, going through most of the more than $52,000raised and the $5,000 taken in loans. At the end of July, Baxley had around $13,000 on hand. Hell face Michael Hageloh come November. Hageloh has loaned his campaign more than $24,000 and had almost $28,000 through in-kind donations. With Hageloh having around $23,000 in the bank at the end of July, Baxley is a favorite but he needs to start raising more. This race is shaping up as one to watch come November.
House Seat 25: With Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, vacating this seat representing parts of Lake, Seminole and Volusia counties to run for the Senate, two strong candidates are battling for the Republican nomination to replace him. Attorney and businessman Rick Joyce raised more than $80,000, loaned his campaign more than $32,000 and had more than $48,000 on hand at the end of July. Joyce faces Larry Metz, a member of the Lake County School Board, in the primary. While not raising what Joyce has brought in, Metz has netted almost $33,000 in cash so far and has loaned his campaign $25,000. At the end of July, Metz had more than $30,000 in the bank. Democrat Frank Wood, an economics teacher, will take on the winner come November.
