Democrats flip Florida state House seat in special election 

Florida Democrats scored a win Tuesday after they flipped a state House seat in a Central Florida district. 

Democrat Tom Keen, an aerospace executive, beat Republican Erika Booth, an Osceola County school board member, to fill Florida’s state House 35th District, which includes portions of Orange and Osceola counties, 51 percent to roughly 49 percent. 

The seat was held by former Rep. Fred Hawkins (R), but he vacated it last summer to become president of South Florida State College. Decision Desk HQ noted the district’s political crosswinds; In 2022, Hawkins clinched the seat by nearly 11 points, but President Biden won it by 5 points in 2020.

Democrats in the Sunshine State and nationally celebrated Keen’s win. 

“Tonight, we flipped a seat in the Florida House of Representatives, electing veteran Tom Keen. It’s the *first* Democratic flip of the year and the second major loss for Ron DeSantis this week. Don’t count Florida out,” the Florida Democratic Party wrote on X, formerly Twitter.  

“This victory in Florida is an earthquake and shows the strength of legislative Democrats as we head into this critical election year,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), in a statement. “Rep-elect Keen’s victory delivers a blow to Florida Republicans — this was a Republican seat that DeSantis won in 2022 and they should’ve had it in the bag. This victory puts Republicans across the country on notice that Democrats have the undeniable momentum in 2024.”

Keen’s platform included affordable housing, protecting abortion access, protecting the environment and defending free speech, such as book bans in schools, according to his campaign website. Booth’s platform included fighting “Joe Biden’s Woke Agenda,” including in areas like the economy and education; immigration, election integrity and defending constitutional rights, among others, according to her campaign website.

Keen received high-profile endorsements from Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.), state House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D), the Orlando Sentinel and Planned Parenthood PAC, among others. Meanwhile, Booth received endorsements from Associated Industries of Florida, Americans for Prosperity Action Florida and the LIBRE Initiative Action.