LGBTQ and ally candidates in Central Florida and Tampa Bay are celebrating their victories and reflecting on their losses after the Nov. 8 election.
Voter turnout largely favored Republicans throughout the state, with the regions’ races greatly impacted by Florida’s new redistricting map. According to ProPublica, Gov. Ron DeSantis redrew it for that purpose, efforts which detractors say in ongoing legal challenges disenfranchised minority voters.
DeSantis bested Democrat Charlie Crist to win a second term, calling his victory over the LGBTQ ally a “win for the ages” from Tampa. Initial returns show Crist won only five of 67 counties, among them Orange by 7 points. He lost his native Pinellas by 10 and Hillsborough by 9.
Crist’s concession in St. Petersburg was brief. He congratulated DeSantis on his reelection and reflected on his years as governor and congressman.
“I feel like the most blessed man ever,” Crist said. “Governor DeSantis, to you and your family I wish you only the best and I wish the best to my fellow Floridians, because I love this state. I love her with all my heart.”
“Thank you all for raising your voices with me, for standing up for our freedoms and our democracy,” he also shared Nov. 9. “I’m eternally grateful for your support. Together, we stood up for what’s right and we treated everyone with dignity and respect. I am very proud of that – and you should be, too.”
Orlando’s Val Demings also lost her race to incumbent U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. The LGBTQ ally thanked supporters during her concession speech, among them her husband Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings who stood at her side. Watch below.
Openly LGBTQ Orlando State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith also lost his race. The trailblazing lawmaker had represented District 49 since 2016 but was seeking his latest term in District 37 due to redistricting.
The newly drawn district includes parts of Orange and Seminole counties. The candidate won the former but lost the latter, resulting in his Republican opponent’s victory with more than 50% of the vote.
“I’m SO overwhelmed and grateful for the LOVE ya’ll are sending my way with your calls, texts, and messages,” Smith shared Nov. 9. “Thank you for sharing your words of inspiration and hope for what lies ahead … Florida is my home and I’ve got plenty of fight left in me to protect it.”
In District 42, LGBTQ accomplice Anna Eskamani easily triumphed over Republican Bonnie Jackson. She received over 56% of the vote.
“We did it — we won our re-election and by a landslide too,” Eskamani shared Nov. 8. “Words cannot express my immense gratitude to our incredible constituents for your support, and to our volunteers who got us to the finish line.”
Returning to the national level, Orlando’s Maxwell Alejandro Frost made history. The 25-year-old Democrat will become the nation’s first Gen Z member of Congress, representing Demings’ former district. He received 59% of the vote according to early returns.
“WE WON!!!! History was made tonight,” he said Nov. 8. “We made history for Floridians, for Gen Z, and for everyone who believes we deserve a better future.”
In Tampa Bay, LGBTQ and ally candidates had victories and losses of their own. State Rep. Michele Rayner – who became the first Black, openly LGBTQ woman elected to the Florida Legislature in 2020 – will return to Tallahassee and represent District 62.
Rayner faced Republican Jeremy Brown, who ran his campaign from Pinellas County jail on charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. She received nearly 80% of the vote in Pinellas County and nearly 60% in Hillsborough.
“We have to keep fighting,” she vowed Nov. 8.
Eunic Ortiz, who nearly became the first openly gay woman elected to the Florida State Senate, lost her bid for State District 18. She received around 43% of the vote to Republican Nick DiCeglie’s almost 57%.
Ortiz thanked supporters Nov. 8, noting that her work was only beginning.
“We fought hard and spoke to thousands of voters across this county to share our vision of a better future for everyone,” she shared. “Tomorrow, our work continues to advocate for more affordable costs of property insurance and rent, protecting a woman’s right to choose, fighting for LGBTQ+ equality, keeping our communities and kids safe from gun violence. These ideas aren’t radical, but values that would ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to thrive, not just special interests.”
Key allies throughout the region also won their races, among them Fentrice Driskell. She received 54% of the vote and will serve as the State House Democratic Leader while representing District 67.
“I believe that every Floridian deserves the freedom to be healthy, prosperous and safe,” she told Watermark ahead of the election. “From that position, I will continue my efforts to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and their loved ones.”
The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, which represents the interests of LGBTQ Floridians to the Florida Democratic Party, reflected on the election Nov. 9.
“Democrats are the party of the real Florida,” Caucus President Stephen Gaskill said in a statement. “Our candidates laid out their visions for the future of our state and for the country. We congratulate all those who ran, regardless of the outcome of their elections.
“We especially congratulate those who stood up for the LGBTQ+ community and made equality a central focus of their message,” he continued. “The 2022 election is over, but we are looking ahead to continuing our fight for a Florida for all.”
Read their full statement below:
