The Florida Democratic Party is doing a bit of celebrating after candidates LaVon Bracy Davis and RaShon Young won their respective Special Election races on Tuesday night. Bracy Davis defeated Republican Willie Montague in Senate District 15 with nearly 73 percent of the vote, while Young beat Republican Tuan Le with almost 75% of the vote in House District 40.
“Senator-elect LaVon Bracy Davis and Representative-elect RaShon Young are some of the best among us, and I am thrilled to congratulate them on their victories in this Special Election," Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried said. "True community advocates, they care about and are ready to fight for what Central Floridians care about the most: lower costs of living, safer communities, and true change driven by and for the people.
Senate District 15 covers part of Orange County in Central Florida. Bracy Davis takes over for the late Geraldine Thompson, who passed away in February.
Notably, Bracy Davis's victory is not too much of a surprise, as former Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by 23 points over then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race. Trump went on to carry Florida by 13 points over Harris.
Bracy Davis previously served in House District 40 before resigning to run for the State Senate vacancy in April.
In another no surprise, Young takes over for Bracy Davis in HD 40, which covers a similar area of Orange County. Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by more than 35 points over Trump in 2024.
Florida Democrats equated both 70%-plus margins to voters being sick of the Republican status quo, according to its release.
"Voters are fed up with political posturing, wasteful spending, and the never-ending culture wars that have left the middle class behind with shrinking healthcare coverage, crumbling public schools, and sky-high insurance premiums," Florida Democrats said.
They also took a shot at Republicans over Alligator Alcatraz, Florida's illegal alien detention center built in the Everglades earlier this year. The facility is currently facing a threat of a shutdown.
"Using alliteration to name inhumane detention camps may grab headlines, but it’s not grabbing votes," they added.
