Election 2024: Senate battle, ballot questions in Florida
Writer: Ryan Gandolfo
July 2024 — Florida, considered a critical battleground state despite a recent track record of Republican wins, is holding a high-stakes U.S. Senate race this fall, while key local elections and pivotal ballot measures will be decided in the coming months that could reshape the Sunshine State’s political and social landscape.
In Florida’s closed primary system, only registered Democrats and Republicans get to pick their party’s candidates. Independents are left out unless the primary winner runs unopposed in the general election. However, everyone can vote in nonpartisan contests like those for circuit judges, school boards, and county commissioners.
The voter base for the country’s third most-populous state is around 13.4 million in 2024, according to the Florida Division of Elections. The state’s electorate is notably diverse, with Hispanic voters making up about 18%, reflecting Florida’s significant Hispanic community. Non-Hispanic whites account for roughly 61%, while Black voters represent around 13%. Additionally, the state’s large number of senior voters, approximately 30%, is notable for their high turnout during elections.
In the state’s largest race, incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Scott, a former Florida governor and President Donald Trump ally, is seeking re-election for a second term.
The Democratic candidate will be decided in the August primary election. The field includes former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, former Florida House member Brian Rush, South Florida businessman Stanley Campbell, and Dr. Rod Joseph. Mucarsel-Powell, a moderate Democrat, has focused her campaign on expanding healthcare access, environmental protection, and gun control. The primary will determine who will challenge Scott in the general election, with the Democrats aiming to flip this crucial seat in a closely divided Senate.
Local municipal and county elections are also underway, with Miami-Dade’s mayoral race taking shape as incumbent Mayor Daniella Levine Cava faces off against six challengers: Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid, social media influencer Alex Otaola, media personality Carlos Garín, ex-Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger, Miami-Dade Libertarian Party Vice Chair Miguel Quintero, and no-party candidate Eddy Rojas. Danzinger rescinded his prior endorsement of Levine Cava after joining the race.
Cava, running for re-election, made history in 2020 after being elected as Miami-Dade County’s first female mayor. Areas of focus include the Future Ready Plan — aligning economic development objectives with small-business support and climate action strategies — and housing and affordability solutions. According to a report released by the nonprofit Miami Homes For All, the county lacks 90,181 units for households earning below 80% of the area median income, which comes out to about $75,000 a year.
Cid, a Republican and son and grandson of Cuban exiles, is running on a platform that will reduce taxes and alleviate traffic by rolling back property taxes in the county by 10%, cap non-homesteaded properties at 5%, and expand the Metrorail in all four directions, among other proposals listed on his official campaign website.
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For each candidate, housing and transportation are the key issues to address. Miami-Dade residents will also be able to weigh in on mass transit needs in their communities, with a county straw ballot question focusing on whether the county needs to expand its existing rapid mass transit system (defined as elevated Metrorail, passenger rail, or Metromover).
In Central Florida, Orange County has several seats up for grabs including four, in the U.S. House of Representatives, 10 in the State House, and three in the Florida Senate. At a county level, elections will cover Orange County Districts 1, 3, and 5, as well as key positions such as tax collector, supervisor of elections, and the school board.
Toward the Gulf, several local races for federal congress are shaping up in the Greater Tampa Bay area, which covers Districts 13, 14, 15, and 16. Another important race is for Hillsborough County state attorney, where Andrew Warren, previously suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis over a pledge not to prosecute certain laws focused on abortion and transgender healthcare, faces Tampa lawyer Elizabeth Martinez Strauss in the Democratic primary, and the winner will face Warren’s Republican replacement, former Hillsborough County Judge Suzy Lopez.
In the Northeast region of the state, Duval County voters will decide on several local and primary races including four seats on the School Board. Among the four races, only District 3 includes an incumbent while all three other Districts up for election include new candidates.
Voters will consider six statewide ballot measures, including partisan school board elections, the right to hunt and fish, marijuana legalization, abortion rights, property tax exemptions, and campaign finance repeal. A 60% supermajority is required to approve a constitutional amendment in the state of Florida.
Amendment 1 will decide on whether to change school board elections from nonpartisan to partisan, while Amendment 2 looks to establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish — if approved, Florida would join 23 other states with such constitutional provisions.
Amendment 3 is for the legalization of marijuana for adults 21 years old and older, and Amendment 4 decides on establishing a constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability (around the time a fetus can survive outside of the uterus).
Amendments 5 and 6 are predicated on supporting an annual inflation adjustment to the amount assessed that is exempt from property taxation (homestead property tax exemption) and repealing state provisions that provide for public financing of campaigns for statewide elected officers who agree to campaign spending limits.
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