Several state Senate races saw shake-ups in the final moments of the qualifying period which ended June 24.
Senate District 1 — Two write-in candidates, Aaron Matthew Erskine and Miriam Woods, have joined the Senate District 1 race. That closes the Republican primary between Reps. Mike Hill and Doug Broxson to GOP voters.
Senate District 3 — Republican Nancy Miller, a small business owner from Steinhatchee, not the Tallahassee commissioner of the same name, has joined the District 3 race against Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee. She joined because she did not like the conservative Democrat’s vote to remove a Confederate general from Statuary Hall, according to SaintPetersBlog.com.
Senate District 11 — Write-ins Joseph Harris and Miranda Sherelle Ratcliffe have joined the Senate District 11 race. Their entry closes the four-way Democratic primary.
Senate District 12 — Elizabeth Kathryn McNutt, a write-in, has joined the race and closed the three-way Republican primary.
Senate District 16 — Write-in candidates Katherine Perkins and Michael Ryan now stand in Sen. Jack Latvala’s way of being re-elected.
Senate District 17 — Ronald Julian Thomas, a write-in, has joined the Senate District 17 race. Democrat Amy C. Tidd, who has previously lost running against Rep. Ritch Workman for his House seat, is now running for the state Senate. Democrat Christopher Duncan failed to qualify.
Senate District 27 — Dakota Austin Eads has joined the Senate District 27 race as a write-in and closed the Republican primary between Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto and Jason Maughan to GOP voters.
Senate District 28 — Two write-in candidates, MaryKathryn Johnson and Raymond Mazzie, have qualified for the Senate District 28 race, thereby closing the Aug. 30 primary between Republican Reps. Matt Hudson and Kathleen Passidomo, according to FloridaPolitics.com.
Senate District 30 — Democrat Tony Bennett abandoned his state Senate District 30 bid and opened a campaign for the northern Palm Beach County commission District 1 seat, according to The Palm Beach Post. Democratic county commission candidate Rubin Anderson quit the crowded District 7 commission race and instead filed for the Senate District 30 seat that Bennett abandoned. Write-in Steve Austin also joined the race.
Senate District 31 — Write-in Jason Swaby joined the SD 31 race and closed a three-way Democratic primary.
Senate District 32 — Democrat Lauren Book won her Senate District 32 race June 24 after no other candidate qualified for the race, according to FloridaPolitics.com. A second Democrat, Emmanuel Blimie, had indicated he planned to run, but state records show Blimie did not qualify.
Senate District 33 — Former Democratic House leader Perry Thurston won without opposition as his Republican challenger moved to District 34.
Senate District 34 — Republican Antoaneta Iotova transferred to SD 34 from SD 33 and write-in Valerie E. Saffran joined the race.
Senate District 38 — Former Miami Beach commissioner Michael Góngora is jumping back into politics, according to The Miami Herald. The condo attorney with Becker & Poliakoff announced June 24 he is running for Senate District 38 being left behind by Gwen Margolis. Former state Rep. Phillip Brutus broke away from the Democratic field by qualifying as an independent candidate instead, the Herald also reported. Democrat Bruce Kaplan also joined the race.
Senate District 39 — NPA Sheila Lucas George failed to qualify for Senate District 39.
Senate District 40 — Missalys Perez joined the Senate District 40 race as the fourth Democrat.