While there are no bad choices among the Democrats, we prefer former Clelland, who became a lawyer representing first responders after 26 years as a firefighter. The winner will face Republican Dean Asher in November. Three Democrats – each well-qualified to serve in the Senate – are competing in this district, which runs from Interstate 4 east to the Orange County line: two former House members, Linda Stewart of Orlando and Mike Clelland of Winter Park and ex-Orange County School Board member Rick Roach. She’s the best choice for the district’s Republican voters. She’s been a leader in the state Capitol on key issues, including early childhood education. She’s a strong conservative, but more pragmatic than her opponents. That leaves O’Toole, an experienced legislator. Gee, who touts his tea party support, insists his opponents aren’t conservative enough and vows to get tough on illegal immigration, which is fundamentally a federal issue. There are no Democrats running in this GOP-friendly district, but another write-in means this primary is closed to any voters other than registered Republicans.īaxley, who boasts of being the father of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, has spent too much time in Tallahassee leading crusades on divisive issues, including abortion restrictions and voting limits. The third, David Gee of The Villages, is a businessman and first-time candidate. Two of the candidates, Marlene O’Toole of Lady Lake and Dennis Baxley of Ocala, are current House members. Three Republicans are competing in this district, which covers northern Lake County, all of Sumter County and part of Marion County. However, there are two write-in candidates for the November election, closing the primary to anyone other registered Democrats. The winner will almost certainly serve in the Senate, because no Republican is running in the district. But we also encourage readers to watch our interviews with the candidates online at /opinion, and find out more about their backgrounds and policy positions at /votersguide.įour Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination in this district, which includes almost half of Orlando and all of Apopka, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Maitland and Eatonville.

We’ll offer our recommendations in those races – three Democratic primaries and one Republican primary. In Central Florida, incumbent senators in four districts are either term limited or seeking higher office, leaving those seats wide open for new contenders. New boundaries for Florida Senate districts, ordered last year by the state Supreme Court, have added some suspense to this year’s races for the Legislature’s upper chamber.

Sun sentinel endorsements 2016