For the first time in -- well, some time -- eastern parts of Osceola County will be represented by a Democrat in the Florida House of Representatives.
Tom Keen, a Lake Nona aerospace sector entrepreneur and retired veteran, won Tuesday's special election for the District 35 seat by just 590 of the 22,000 votes cast in eastern Orange and Osceola counties. He defeated Osceola County School Board member Erika Booth by a margin of 51.33% (11,390 votes) to 48.67% (10,800).
Keen will join a legislative session already in progress -- it began Jan. 9; the Governor's office scheduled this race a week into it.
Via his campaign's Facebook page, Keen called the victory "Ours."
"A huge THANK YOU to all our supporters, volunteers, and voters who believed in our vision for a better, brighter District 35 ... This journey was about bringing positive change to our community, and together, we've made a clear statement about the future we want to see.
"Now, the real work begins, and I am more committed than ever to serve and represent each one of you with integrity, passion, and dedication."
While Booth of St. Cloud earned more of the vote in Osceola (3,253 to 1,984), it was Orange County (9,406 to 7,547) that carried Keen to the win. Total voter turnout across the two counties for this one-election race was just under 20%. Two-thirds of the vote in Osceola was cast via mail-in ballots or during the early voting period last week.
Via text, Booth said congratulated Keen on his win, "And a race well run."
"I want to thank my amazing family, the countless friends, new and old, volunteers and campaign staff that helped propel us to this point. Obviously, this is not the result we wanted, but I respect the will of the voters."
After winning re-election in 2022, Rep. Fred Hawkins resigned last year to become president of South Florida State College in Avon Park, making this race necessary. If he wants to keep it, Keen, who also ran in the 2022 election and lost in the Democratic primary that year, would run again in November 2024 -- meaning he will run for the office three times in three years, and potentially four times in five years in 2026.
Hawkins won in a 2020 district that included eastern parts of Osceola and northeast parts of Polk County. He won re-election, in what he called a "surprise" margin of 11 points in 2022 in the new district that includes areas of Osceola south and east of St. Cloud down to the southern and western borders, as well as parts of Orange County like the Moss Park area, east Orlando in neighborhoods along State Road 417 and points east like Waterford Lakes, Avalon Park, Bithlo, Christmas and Wedgefield.
