Early voting underway in special election; Election Day Nov. 7
-
Early voting has begun for the special election primary for Florida House of Representatives District 35.
Voters have a chance to choose a new representative for Florida House Seat 35 following Republican Fred Hawkins’ departure to serve as president of South Florida State College.
Primary early voting takes place through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Supervisor of Elections Office (2509 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.) in Kissimmee and Narcoossee Community Center (5354 Rambling Road), and on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at normal polling places.
Sample ballots have been sent out to voters who are eligible to vote in this election with a mailer which includes the voter’s precinct and polling location for Nov. 7.
The special election primary is a closed primary, meaning only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote for their respective candidates.
The winner of extra primary will go on to the general election on Jan. 16.
Here’s a breakdown of the candidates and their campaign platforms:
DEMOCRATS
TOM KEEN: Keen, who ran for this seat in 2022, is a military veteran, having served as a Naval Flight Officer, and a businessman in the hightech aerospace training and simulation industry. The top four issues as part of his campaign platform are: ensuring funding for affordable housing goes to residents, as well as decreasing the cost of home insurance; expanding access to abortion in Florida; defending free speech and fighting book bans; and ensuring LQBTQ people feel safe.
RISHI BAGGA: Bagga also ran in 2022. He is a former prosecutor and current Vice President of Skyline Hotels LLC, a family-owned hotel ownership and management company in Orlando. The top four issues Bagga has as part of his campaign platform are: improving the economy by lowering property insurance, giving governments flexibility in spending tourist taxes and supporting the tourism industry; changing healthcare legislation to expand Medicaid and ensuring access to abortion; restricting gun ownership and requiring state databases of those who are not eligible to possess firearms; and supporting education by increasing teacher pay, reducing classroom size, and allowing for any ageappropriate educational theory or perspective.
MARUCCI GUZMAN: An Orlando community advocate who created the Puerto Rico Family Response Center following Hurricane Maria. Guzman has four major issues as part of her campaign platform: putting money in voters pockets through lowering insurance and healthcare costs; strengthening local schools by increasing teacher salaries, providing more funding for schools and keeping politicians out of classrooms; enacting universal background checks and red flag laws to restrict gun ownership; and protecting women’s rights by preventing legislation on reproductive rights.
REPUBLICANS
ERIKA BOOTH: Currently a member of the Osceola County School Board and former educator who has worked as a project manager for the Youth Leadership Osceola and Project OPEN programs. Booth is running on a platform which includes these issues: opposing Joe Biden’s political agenda and working alongside Governor DeSantis and President Trump to end the Biden Presidency; protecting children from indoctrination; ending illegal immigration; and defending constitutional rights.
SCOTTY MOORE: Moore spent more than 20 years working for Campus Crusade for Christ, the largest Christian mission organization in the world and ran for Florida’s 9th congressional district in 2022. Four of the major issues on Moore’s platform are: advancing liberty when rights are encroached by government; prioritizing traditional family values and sanctity of life; allowing parents and families to make decisions about children rather than the government; and furthering the idea that there are only two genders and males and females should participate in distinct, separate athletics.
KEN DAVENPORT: A flight attendant and previously worked in law enforcement and the restaurant industry, he also ran in the 2022 primary. The major issues on Davenport’s platform are: prioritizing policies to support and empower families; preserving freedom of religion and preventing religious discrimination; advocating for freedom for individuals to make their own healthcare decisions; and safeguarding the 2nd Amendment rights, including the right to selfdefense.
