Six Central Florida flips end GOP House supermajority

Six Central Florida districts changed hands Tuesday, ending the Republican supermajority in the Florida House.

The chamber requires 80 seats for a two-thirds majority. Republicans entered the election holding 82 seats, while Democrats held 34. Seven total shifts were needed to drop the GOP below that threshold. Central Florida Democrats captured six of those required seats.

In Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, Democratic candidates unseated five incumbent Republicans. Erika Booth, Doug Bankson, and Rachel Plakon lost their races. Three other seats previously held by Republicans were also taken by Democratic challengers.

Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, stated the result gives Democrats the leverage to fight what she called extreme Republican leadership. She said the party is now better positioned to protect against attacks on democracy.

Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, cited a coordinated campaign effort. She said volunteers knocked on 1.2 million doors and made 5.25 million calls to voters across the state. Fried noted that Democratic turnout surpassed levels seen in 2018.

Several notable races defined the shift. In House District 39, Winter Garden physician Jarod Fox defeated the Republican incumbent with 55% of the vote. In District 36, Sanford attorney Darryl Block defeated two-term incumbent Rachel Plakon. In District 35, Eric Gray, who leads the Christian Service Center, defeated Rep. Erika Booth.

Other Democratic victors include Jane Aman in District 37, Nik Dean in District 38, and Leonard Spencer in District 45. Anthony Nieves will fill the vacant District 47 seat. Four additional Democrats won in districts that were already leaning Democratic, including RaShon Young, Samuel Vilchez Santiago, Jose Alvarez, and Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet.