Election 2022: 4 Florida State House members lose seats

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Four state House members will not return to the Legislature after losing in Tuesday’s primary elections, while another representative is poised to head to the Senate.

Democratic House members Travaris McCurdy and Daisy Morales of Orlando and James Bush of Miami were ousted.

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Meanwhile, Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, R-DeLand, trailed by 31 votes in a race against fellow Rep. Webster Barnaby, R-Deltona, after they were thrown together in a Volusia County district because of reapportionment. While the narrow margin appeared likely to force a recount, one of the incumbents will wind up exiting the House.

McCurdy and Morales were running for second terms. McCurdy lost in Orange County’s House District 41 to former Rep. Bruce Antone, D-Orlando, while Morales lost in Orange County’s District 44 to Rita Harris.

Bush, a veteran lawmaker, lost to Ashley Gantt in Miami-Dade County’s House District 109. Bush sometimes split from Democrats to vote with Republicans, and Gantt received backing from groups such as the Service Employees International Union and Ruth’s List Florida.

Read: Full results: 2022 Florida Primary Election

Harris and Gantt will not have general-election opponents, assuring they will join the House in November, while Antone will face a Green Party candidate.

Also, after winning a primary Tuesday, Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windermere, is poised to rejoin the Senate. Thompson served in the Senate from 2012 to 2016 and then was elected to the House in 2018.

She defeated Rep. Kamia Brown, D-Ocoee, in Tuesday’s primary in Orange County’s Senate District 15. Thompson does not face a general-election opponent.

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Because of the once-a-decade reapportionment process, all 120 House seats and 40 Senate seats were up for election this year. Here are results of some other high-profile legislative primaries Tuesday:

— Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, D-Plantation, defeated former Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief in Broward County’s Senate District 35. Book does not face a general-election opponent.

— Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola, defeated former Rep. Mike Hill, a Pensacola Republican who was attempting a comeback in Escambia County’s House District 1.

— Former Rep. Kimberly Daniels, D-Jacksonville, won the primary in an open seat in Duval County’s House District 14. She will face only a write-in opponent in November.

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— Jacksonville Republican Kiyan Michael, who had backing from Gov. Ron DeSantis, defeated two other candidates, including former Rep. Lake Ray, in the GOP primary in Duval County’s House District 16. Michael will face only write-in opponents in November.

— Lakeland Republican Jennifer Canady, who is married to Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady, won the GOP primary in Polk County’s House District 50. She does not face a general-election opponent.

— Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, defeated former Rep. Wengay Newton, a St. Petersburg Democrat who was attempting a comeback in House District 62 in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

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