Republican Yoni Anijar announced on social media that he has qualified for the House District 100 race by petition, becoming the first candidate to do so in nearly two decades.
According to the Florida Division of Elections tracking system, Anijar collected 1,264 petition signatures, more than the 1,251 required for the ballot, as of April 17th. The mark allows Anijar to avoid paying a filing fee and appear on August's primary ballot.
Raul Gallon, CEO of G&G Insurance Adjusters Inc., Eric Stelnicki, a pediatric plastic surgeon, and Chris Vincent, former mayor of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, are challenging Anijar in the Republican primary on Aug. 18.
Anijar had a significant cash-on-hand advantage over Stelnicki and Vincent early on in the House race. According to Transparency USA, Gallon is also behind Anijar's previous pace.
Michael Ferguson and James Brenner are on the Democratic ticket.
Anijar, an attorney, is looking to replace Rep. Chip LaMarca (R-Lighthouse Point) in November's general election. Rep. LaMarca's seat is open due to term limits.
Rep. Meg Weinberger (R-Palm Beach Gardens) and Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) have endorsed Anijar in the race. Notably, Anijar is a Trump supporter, having voted for the president three times.
A Jewish American, Anijar graduated from the University of Florida and earned his law degree from George Washington University Law School. He later began his legal career in New York City.
HD 100 covers coastal Broward County, including portions of Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point, Wilton Manors, and Hillsboro Beach.
Rep. LaMarca has represented the area since 2018. He won reelection in HD 100 over Democrat James Brenner by 15 points in 2024.
