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GOP Candidates Win SWFL Legislative Races

Old Capitol, Tallahassee
Steven Martin via Flickr creative commons
Old Capitol, Tallahassee

Republican candidates in Tuesday’s election won every Florida House and Senate race covering a district in Southwest Florida.

State Rep. Ray Rodrigues (R-Estero) defeated Democrat Rachel Brown in the Florida Senate District 27 election. The district covers western portions of Lee county.

Fellow State Rep. Bob Rommel (R-Napes) will retain his State House District 106 seat, covering coastal Collier County stretching from Naples to Marco Island and Everglades City.

State Rep. Spencer Roach (R-North Fort Myers) will also retain his seat representing Florida House District 79 in unincorporated Lee County.

Florida Republican Party chairman Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) won the race for Florida’s Senate District 23 seat. The district includes Sarasota county and portions or Charlotte County.

Lauren Melo (R-Naples) won her race against Democrat Laura Novosad to replace Byron Donalds in representing Florida House District 80, which includes portions of Eastern Collier County and all of Hendry County including LaBelle, Clewiston and Immokalee. Donalds was just elected to the U.S. House seat being vacated by Francis Rooney.

Jenna Persons will replace fellow Republican State Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen in representing State House District 78 covering inland Lee County. She defeated Democrat Shawn Williams.

Mike Giallombardo, another Republican won his race for the Florida House District 77 seat in Cape Coral vacated by Dane Eagle who was recently appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to head the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Adam Botano (R-Bonita Springs) defeated Democrat Adam Weber for the Florida House District 76 seat covering coastal Lee County. That seat is being vacated by Ray Rodrigues who was just elected to the Florida Senate.

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