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Former Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis and RaShon Young both won their special elections for Senate District 15 and House District 40, respectively, with about 75 percent of the vote.
Bracy Davis, who resigned her own seat in the House, effective Sept. 1 — to ensure continuity of representation for the district — soundly beat Republican Willie J. Montague with 73 percent of the vote, pulling in 17,771 of the 24,484 ballots cast. Montague took 27 percent of the vote and 6,713 ballots.
“This seat belongs to the people of Senate District 15,” Bracy Davis said in a statement. “My office is your office, and together we will keep fighting for affordable housing, a growing job market, safe schools and a Florida that reflects our shared values of fairness, freedom and dignity.”
Bracy Davis will serve through 2028 to complete the late State Sen. Geraldine Thompson’s term. Thompson, who was Bracy Davis’ mentor and who had given her blessing and endorsement for her run, died in February, following knee surgery, just six months after she was re-elected in 2024.
Senate District 15 encompasses Ocoee, Pine Hills, Winter Garden, Oakland, Eatonville, Apopka, and parts of Dr. Phillips and Orlando. There is significant overlap with House District 40, which covers Ocoee, Pine Hills, Windermere, College Park, Apopka, Maitland, Winter Park and parts of Orlando.
In March, when Bracy Davis announced her senate campaign to fill out her mentor's term, she paid tribute to Thompson, saying she would not have been as successful “without her guidance and words of wisdom.”
Bracy Davis faced a crowded Democratic primary field in June that included former Congressman Alan Grayson, Ocoee attorney Coretta Anthony-Smith and her own brother former State Sen. Randolph Bracy III. She won with 43 percent of the vote.
Although she was prevented from fundraising while the Legislature was in session (including when it was extended by six weeks), Bracy Davis still managed to amass a considerable campaign war chest, raising $114,505 to Montague’s $5,237.
Montague — host of the new TV talk show Americana on Afro TV, founder/CEO of the nonprofit House of Timothy, and CEO of a kava convention — appeared to acknowledge the inevitable loss early in the day Tuesday when he thanked his supporters on Facebook, urged to people vote and said, “No matter the outcome, I’m not going anywhere — we will continue pressing forward in ways that will make a real impact.”
After the results were reported, he posted on Facebook again, saying, in part, “From the outset, we understood that this would be a challenging race, but your commitment and encouragement carried us every step of the way. ... As we look ahead, our efforts in Orange County will take on a new direction, one that ensures we engage our community more effectively and strategically.”
This is Montague’s fourth straight election loss. He ran for Congress in District 10 in 2020, 2022 and 2024. According to the state Division of Elections, Montague has filed to run again in 2026.
Young, parlayed his knowledge of the State House as Bracy Davis’ chief of staff, into his own House seat, with 7,330 ballots and 74.96 percent of the vote. Young bested Republican Tuan Le, who netted 2,435 ballots and 24.90 percent of the vote while write-in candidate Christopher Hall received 14 ballots and 0.14 percent of the vote.
Young, who raised $97,994, becomes the youngest representative elected to the Florida House. He’ll finish Bracy Davis’ term, serving through 2026.
“I am humbled and deeply grateful to the people of House District 40 for the trust they have placed in me,” Young said in a prepared statement. “Tonight’s victory is not just about one candidate. It’s about the 180,000 people who call this district home. It’s about proving that when we come together, when we fight for one another, and when we believe in the power of democracy, change is possible.”
Young spoke of building a future “where families can thrive, seniors are cared for, young people have opportunity, and no one is left out or left behind.” And he thanked his supporters who “knocked on doors, made calls and stood with us every step of the way.”
This election loss is the third for Le, who has unsuccessfully run for Congress twice in District 10. It is unclear how much he may have raised or loaned himself for his campaign. Le, who is facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes and fines on businesses he and his ex-wife own in Brevard County, never filed any campaign finance forms.
Turnout for the two special elections was low, which was anticipated for off-year special elections. Just 8.88 percent of the 277,599 eligible voters cast ballots. But it was Democratic voters who turned out to vote — 14,976 compared with 6,440 Republicans and 2,930 independents.
Democrats had pledged to fight for every district, even those considered reliably blue.
Speaking Saturday in Ocoee’s Bill Breeze Park ahead of the last canvassing push before early voting wrapped up, Samuel Vilchez Santiago, chair of the Orange County Democrats, told supporters who had gathered to knock on doors that the party was “so organized to win this dark blue district” because the people the Democratic Party has taken for granted “matter.”
“We have got to show up for every single voter every single day,” he said. “It’s not about choosing and picking which races and which communities matter more.”
Voting by mail continues to be the preferred way to vote with 10,856 voters opting to mail their ballots in. Another 8,452 voted today, Election Day, while 5,343 voted early. Despite President Donald Trump’s latest railings against mail ballots, more Republicans opted to vote by mail (2,802) than early (1,204) or on Election Day (2,434) as did Democrats (mail: 6,680), (early: 3,463), (Election Day: 4,833).
