After a stint in the House, Carlos Guillermo Smith (D) has found a new home in the state senate. Elected in 2016, Rep. Smith, now state Senator Smith, lost his reelection bid in 2022 to Florida Rep. Melony Bell (R). Over the weekend, state Senator Smith won the race for Florida Senate District 17 after no Republican challenger stepped up to the plate.
Aside from state Senator Smith, nine other incumbent House Democrats automatically won their races after Republicans failed to secure challengers.
In a press release, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried (D) celebrated the 10 wins, noting that Democrats "sent 10 champions back to Tallahassee to continue the fight, holding onto key seats in the Florida House and electing two new dynamic leaders to the Florida Senate." "And Republicans didn't even put up a fight, leaving 22 seats uncontested."
State Senator Smith, the first openly LGBTQ Latino elected to the House now also makes history as the first openly LGBTQ Latino elected to the state senate.
On social media, the new state senator celebrated his election to a four-year term, adding that his election is the result of voters being "frustrated with the direction of our state."
"Orlando deserves representation in the Florida Senate who truly reflects our values, someone they know and trust who will stand up for hard-working Floridians, who will work to solve real problems, and who will defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of all people," the state senator penned on social media.
State Senator Smith further wrote that "the Orlando community sent a very clear message with their enthusiastic support and participation in this people-powered campaign - they reject the transactional politics that put profits over people time and time again; they want Tallahassee to solve problems rather than create them; and they want a champion who will stand up to extreme politicians and hold them accountable."
