2022 Elections Now in Full Swing

Legislative Update from FMHCA Lobbyist, Corinne Mixon

Florida Candidate Qualifying officially closed at 12:00pm on Friday, June 17th. The Florida Department of State has completed updating the Candidate Listing for the 2022 Election and now the 2022 Election Cycle is in full swing. I wanted to provide a political update for FMHCA to help shape the landscape of what the voters will see before them.

US Senate

On the top of the 2022 Ballot with be the US Senate race for incumbent Senator Marco Rubio’s seat. Senator Rubio was the only Republican to qualify and has taken the GOP nomination unopposed. Current Congresswoman Val Demings is the presumptive Democrat nominee, but there are several other candidates in the race. Although somewhat of a “red wave” has been predicted in the State of Florida, Demings is considered one of the strongest Democratic contenders in the United States.

Governor

There are multiple Democrats running for the Party nomination to challenge Governor Ron DeSantis and Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez. The Democrat Primary will likely be decided between Congressman Charlie Crist and Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried. Crist has the current advantage with endorsements, but Fried’s internal polling shows the two tied. Governor DeSantis has a sizeable fundraising advantage over all of his potential democrat opponents.

Attorney General

Aramis Ayala, Jim Lewis, and Daniel Uhlfelder are competing for the Democrat nominee to challenge incumbent Attorney General Ashley Moody. AG Moody has a sizeable fundraising advantage and is the current favorite to win re-election.

Chief Financial Officer

Republican incumbent Jimmy Patronis is being challenged by Democrat Adam Hattersley. As the two were the only ones to qualify, there will not be a Primary Election for this race.

Commissioner of Agriculture

Current Commissioner Nikki Fried has decided to seek the Democratic nomination for Governor instead of running for reelection. Current Senate President Wilton Simpson has obtained the endorsement from former President Trump, Governor DeSantis, as well AG Moody and CFO Patronis. Simpson is the current favorite for this race.

Redistricting

After the completion of the 2020 Census, the State was required to reapportion seats for Congress, the State House, and State Senate. During the 2022 Regular Session, the House and Senate passed SJR 100, establishing the districts for the State House and State Senate. The plan did not require the Governor’s approval and was submitted to the Courts for final approval. For the first time ever, there were no opponents challenging the maps for the first time since judicial review of the maps was established.

Unlike the maps for the State House and State Senate, the Congressional maps require the Governor’s signature before becoming law. The Legislature passed SB 102 and sent the Governor the bill to establish Congressional Districts. The Governor vetoed the maps and called the Legislature back into Special Session to draw new maps. The Legislature passed SB 2- C, a version of the plan drawn by the Governor’s staff. The Congressional maps are currently the subject of lawsuits, but the State Supreme Court refused to expedite the case and the Court of Appeals decided the Governor’s map will be the one used in 2022.

The majority of policy issues affecting FMHCA members and the people you care for are decided at the state level, so FMHCA is paying close attention to the state House and Senate races. Here’s a breakdown of those dynamics. Both of FMHCA’s recent bill sponsors, Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez and Rep. Traci Koster, have drawn opposition. These two members were instrumental in passing the Counseling Compact legislation.

Florida House

All 120 seats of the Florida House are up for re-election. The majority of the districts have members of both parties running, but some districts do not have challengers.

Florida Senate

Due to redistricting, the entire Florida Senate’s 40 districts are up for re-election. After this election, the elections will be staggered. Those running in an odd numbered district have a 2-year term and will run for a 4-year term in 2024. Even numbered districts will be up for election for a 4-year term in 2026.

Election Dates:

Florida Primary – August 23rd

General Election – November 8th

Written By: Corinne Mixon, FMHCA Lobbyist

Corinne is a registered professional lobbyist with more than twelve years of experience representing clients' state government interests. At Rutledge Ecenia, Corinne represents a broad client base with a particular emphasis on health care practitioners, education, and regulated industries.