Democrat leaves state House race

The lone Democratic candidate for state House District 44 in west Orange County has withdrawn from the race, contending he was forced out by the party.

Orange County Democratic Chair Wes Hodge said Paul Chandler shouldn’t have voted in Missouri in 2016 had he wanted to run.

That’s the subject of a lawsuit seeking to disqualify him that was filed in Leon County Circuit Court in Tallahassee, which claimed Chandler didn’t meet Florida’s residency requirement and had an active voter registration in Missouri. The suit alleges he voted in elections as recently as last November.

“I personally counseled him on what it took to run … I think his campaign reports speak for themselves,” Hodge said of the candidate who self-funded 80 percent of his campaign. “We would not be in this situation had he not voted in Missouri in 2016.”

Chandler, who owns Ohana Healthcare, said his first political bid was like a bad episode of “House of Cards” and blamed it on the disorganization of the Orange County Democrats.

“I understand why the Democrats lose now,” he said. “They don’t even put up a fight.”

Hodge said Chandler stepped aside Tuesday after the party met with several attorneys who told them there wasn’t a clear precedent for a ruling on the suit.

As word of Chandler’s withdrawal from the race surfaced, Hodge said potential candidates have come forward and the party expects to meet with them soon.

Chandler said he hadn’t formally filed resignation papers with the state and wouldn’t say when he would.

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said ballots for the Oct. 10 general election had not yet been printed, so a replacement candidate’s name could appear on them if one is named soon.

Whoever is on the ballot will face former Winter Garden Commissioner Bobby Olszewski, who narrowly won a four-way GOP primary last week.

“Nothing changes for us, regardless of what’s happening with other candidates,” he said, adding that he plans to continue campaigning through the general election, which is slated for Oct. 10.

Chandler was the only Democrat to enter the special election to succeed former state Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, who was appointed to a judgeship earlier this year.

Florida House Victory, the state Democratic House committee, said it’s working with the local party to “nominate a qualified replacement candidate within 5 days per state law.”

However, another section of the statute says a new candidate cannot be named if a court finds the nominee “did not properly qualify or meet the necessary qualifications to hold the office for which he or she sought to qualify.”

It was unclear if the lawsuit would move forward, and there was no response to calls to Charles Hart, the attorney who filed it.