Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D) is seeking a Florida senate seat after being voted out of the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm election, losing his reelection bid to Florida Rep. Susan Plasencia (R). Enlisting the help of prominent Florida Democrats, Smith is now looking to capture the senate seat in District 17.
In the 2022 midterm election, Smith lost his reelection bid by a 51.9% to 48.1% vote margin. Subsequently, he remained active in Florida politics by criticizing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) on social media.
In making his announcement, Smith kicked off his campaign over the weekend with an event that also hosted Florida Reps. Maxwell Frost (D) and Anna V. Eskamani (D).
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, Smith said that he's seeking a seat in the Florida Senate “to continue fighting for an inclusive Florida that we can all be proud of and also to give Orlando hope that we can have a delegation of local leadership that will stand against Tallahassee’s extreme agenda.”
Rep. Frost took to social media to comment on Smith's campaign, calling him a dedicated servant to Florida who should be elected to the state Senate.
"Electing people who actually give a damn about us is a priority for me. Especially in states, like Florida, where fascist right wing leaders are working tirelessly to rip away our rights," Frost expressed on social media. "We are going to be endorsing and supporting non-traditional, progressive candidates across the state," Frost vowed, noting that "in the Florida House, Carlos told truth to power and never held back when it came down to fighting for working people."
Frost went on to accuse the GOP of spending "millions in corporate + dark money against him last election. Little did they know, they were sending him to the State Senate!"
They spent millions in corporate + dark money against @CarlosGSmith last election. Little did they know, they were sending him to the State Senate!
Honored to join the movement this morning as we kicked-off his campaign! pic.twitter.com/Py9AjR5y5z
— Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@MaxwellFrostFL) April 8, 2023
The 2022 midterm election saw Republicans expanding their influence on the state, which was reflected in the results of the election and in the rise of registered Republicans. In response to this, Nikki Fried (D), the Chair of Florida's Democratic Party has detailed that the party's focus is to expand its control across the sunshine state, pushing back against the GOP's legislative stronghold.
