Republican Party of Florida Vice Chairman Blaise Ingoglia announced Wednesday that he will run for the Florida House seat currently held by the term-limited Rep. Rob Schenck, R-Spring Hill.
Today I have officially announced that I am running for the Florida House of Representatives in District 35, Ingoglia posted on Twitter. I humbly ask for your support!
Ingoglia, who is the chairman of the Hernando County GOP, has been increasingly visible in recent years with his Government Gone Wild organization, website and videos. The owner of a home construction company, Ingoglia has often drawn fire from Republicans for pointing out that both parties are responsible for the growth of government. In 2011, Ingoglia moved into the RPOF leadership, first serving as assistant treasurer before moving to his current position.
The first candidate to enter the race, Ingoglia ranks as a heavy favorite to win the seat in 2014. He is expected to be well-funded.
This seat, which represents most of Hernando County, leans Republican. Rick Scott took 51 percent of this district in 2010, while Democrat Alex Sink took 43 percent. With 40 percent of the district being Republican and 38 percent Democrat, the remaining 22 percent of the voters are crucial in District 35.
Still, while this is a Republican-leaning seat, Democrats can be competitive here if they play their cards right. In 2012, Schenck won his fourth and final term with 55.5 percent of the vote. Democrat Rose Rocco garnered 44.5 percent of the vote.
But Schenck had a considerable financial advantage over Rocco. In the 2012 election cycle, Schenck spent more than $276,500 and relied on more than $48,000 through in-kind donations. Rocco spent a fraction of the amount -- less than $7,900 and used $100 of in-kind donations. Despite that financial advantage, Schenck barely won a double-digit margin of victory. Neither candidate had a primary in 2012.
Still, as he shifts from party leadership and activism to running for office, Ingoglia starts as the favorite to win this House seat. With his service in the state party and his knack for promoting his organization and its videos, Ingoglia will not start off as the usual freshman backbencher. If he wins this seat in 2014, he can become a major player in Tallahassee.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this story exclusively for Sunshine State News.
