"Local news worth reading" — The New York Times
SUBSCRIBE
The independent voice for West Orange County news
It wasn’t even close.
Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis of Ocoee won the four-way Special Senate District 15 Primary while Rashon Young won the primary in House District 40.
Bracy Davis will face Republican Willie J. Montague in the general election on Sept. 2 while Young will face Tuan Le. Montague and Le were the only Republicans who qualified, so they became the de facto nominees.
The special election is being held to fill the remainder of the term left by the unexpected death of Sen. Geraldine Thompson in February following complications from knee surgery. The winner of the general election will serve the remainder of Thompson's term, until 2028. When Bracy Davis decided to run for Thompson’s seat, that created another opening that needed to be filled in the House.
As expected for an off-year special election, turnout was very low. Only 10 percent of the 126,588 registered voters participated and there were 12,987 ballots cast. Of those, the majority of ballots — 5401 — were cast on Election Day. That was followed by mail-in ballots —3766 — and then early voting — 3607.
In the race for Senate District 15, Bracy Davis, who frequently partnered on legislation with Thompson and had her endorsement to run for her seat, won with 43 percent of the 12,880 ballots cast. That reflected a 1,887 vote lead over the second place finisher, Coretta Anthony-Smith, who earned 28.31 percent of the vote.
Former Congressman Alan Grayson, garnered 16.72 percent of the vote. Bracy Davis’ brother, former State Sen. Randolph Bracy III, suffered his third straight election loss, coming in fourth with just 12 percent of the vote.
Anthony-Smith sank a lot of funds into campaigning. She loaned her campaign $175,000 and raised tens of thousands more while Bracy Davis was hamstrung by election rules against fundraising while the Legislature was in session. This year the Legislature went into overtime, finishing on June 16 instead of May 2 as scheduled. It was thought that Anthony-Smith might pull off an upset, but ultimately, against name recognition, money didn’t seem to make a difference.
Young, Bracy Davis’ chief of staff, cleared the first hurdle on the way to becoming an elected official, earning 55.43 percent of the 5,039 ballots cast in the special election primary. He had a 547 vote lead over his opponent Travaris McCurdy who served in the Legislature from 2020 to 2022.
“Tonight, the people of House District 40 have spoken, and I am honored, humbled, and ready to serve,” Young wrote in a statement on social media. “This victory is what constant commitment to leadership and to the people looks like. It is the product of years of showing up, doing the work, and staying rooted in community. From day one, this campaign was about lifting voices, fighting for justice, and standing in the gap for those too often left behind.
“… As we look ahead to September, I am proud to continue this journey with my fellow Democratic nominee in this election, Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis. Together, we are ready to bring new energy and a united front to Tallahassee, because the fight for affordable housing, quality education, healthcare access, and justice for all isn’t over. This win is not the end. It’s the beginning. Let’s get to work.”
In a statement on his social media, McCurdy said, “While tonight’s results weren’t what we hoped for, I remain proud of the campaign we built, the conversations we had, and the vision we put forward for District 40. This race was never about me; it was about us. About the families who want safer neighborhoods, better schools, and leaders who truly listen. I entered this race to continue serving the community that raised me, and that commitment doesn’t end with an election. … The work continues. Let’s keep pushing forward, together. Congratulations Rashon Young.”
