First Read

DeSantis signs executive orders for special state House elections

The orders happen to come a few days after he was sued to set the dates.

Florida Gov. and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis delivers remarks at the 2023 Christians United for Israel summit on July 17, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia.

Florida Gov. and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis delivers remarks at the 2023 Christians United for Israel summit on July 17, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

By Jim Rosica

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Jim Rosica
By Jim Rosica
Editor-in-Chief

Five days after he was sued, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed executive orders for special elections to fill two empty seats in the Florida House of Representatives. For House District 35, vacated by Republican Fred Hawkins of St. Cloud, the primary is Nov. 7 and the general is Jan. 16. For HD 118, formerly held by Republican Juan Fernandez-Barquin of Miami-Dade County, the primary is Oct. 3 and the general is Dec. 5. 

But committee weeks, in which lawmakers begin conducting business before their annual session, start Sept. 18; the 2024 legislative session itself kicks off Jan. 9. Less than a week ago, the ACLU Foundation of Florida sued on behalf of a voter who lives in HD 118, asking a judge to order DeSantis to call the special election there. 

Lawyers said the HD 35 election will be the second longest time a legislative or congressional seat in Florida will have remained vacant since records began. The longest delay was after the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings’ death – 280 days. Hawkins’ former seat will be vacant 200 days. He left to become president of South Florida State College; Fernandez-Barquin was appointed clerk of court and comptroller for Miami-Dade County.

So why the hold-up? Florida-based Democratic data consultant Matthew Isbell tweeted that HD 118 is “a very likely GOP hold” but HD 35 is “a Biden +4 seat that could flip Democratic.” The general election there is one day after the Iowa caucuses, meaning if the seat flips, Isbell surmised it “won’t look bad” for the governor until afterward. 

This is First Up, an excerpt from City & State's daily morning newsletter, First Read. To subscribe for free, please visit our newsletters page. 

NEXT STORY: GOP continues to grow voter registration in Florida

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