House Seat 76: Having chased away all would-be challengers for the seat that Rep. Tom Grady, R-Naples, is vacating, Republican Kathleen Passidomo is the only candidate in the race. This seat represents part of Collier County. Passidomo showed impressive fund-raising abilities -- bringing in more than $70,000 in the two months before she cleared the decks.
House Seat 77: Representing parts of all of Glades and Hendry counties and parts of Collier and Highlands counties, Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Lake Placid, is heading to Tallahassee for another term. She is the only candidate in the race.
House Seat 78: Democrat Steve Perman is the only candidate for the seat that Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Boynton Beach, is vacating to run for the Senate. Perman will represent parts of Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.
House Seat 79: Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, raised more than $209,000 and spent $114,000 -- and he needed to. Horner, representing parts of Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola and Polk counties, is facing a serious challenge in the Republican primary from Col. Thomas Chalifoux, a former member of the Osceola County School Board who tried to run for the seat in 2008 only to be taken off the ballot. Chalifoux has already unloaded $50,000 against Horner -- with more than $28,000 of that being spent in the last half of July. Horner is a favorite but this is no easy challenge and the incumbent has been forced to run television commercials. The winner of the Republican primary should be headed to Tallahassee. Democratic candidate Eddie Freeman has done little in terms of raising money. Jose Alvarez is running as the TEA Party candidate and there is also a write-in candidate in this race.
House Seat 80: Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, faces two Republicans in the primary to take this seat which represents parts of Brevard, Indian River and St. Lucie counties. Mayfield is no easy mark, having raised more than $171,000 and spent more than $100,000. But she faces a serious challenger in former Rep. Art Argenio. Argenio raised almost $48,000 and loaned his campaign $40,000.He had just under $48,000 on hand at the end of July -- enough to do some damage before the primary on Aug. 24. Bradley Ward is also running in the Republican primary but has not had much success in raising money. With less than $1,000 on hand at the end of July, it will be hard for Ward to make a dent in August compared to his rivals. Mayfield is a slight favorite but this primary is one to watch. Whoever wins the Republican nod will face only a write-in candidate come November.
