Tea party activist Hoffman seeks seat in state Senate

Karin Hoffman of Lighthouse Point, founder of the tea party group DC Works for US, is running for the Florida Senate.

Hoffman filed paperwork with the state Division of Elections indicating her plan to seek the Republican nomination for the Broward-Palm Beach county seat currently held by Democratic state Sen. Maria Sachs.

The Palm Beach County part of the district is in the southeast, taking in parts of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Deerfield Beach along the coast.

Hoffman is conservative. She supported Herman Cain, the former Godfather’s pizza chief executive (famous for his 9-9-9 tax plan) for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

She has also voiced skepticism of Republicans. In March, for example, she said former Gov. Jeb Bush would be hurt by his support for the Common Core education standards if he runs for president. She also said Bush “wasn’t palatable” before Common Core.

She has also said that Gov. Rick Scott, who was a favorite of the tea party when he was elected in 2010, alienated many in themovement when he reversed his position on part of Obamacare and supported an expansion of the Medicaid health program for the poor.

And she’s worked with Democrats. In 2011, she pulled together people from both parties for “The American Experiment: Where Do We Go From Here,” a discussion of different philosophical approaches to health care, energy, jobs and taxes.

The 2012 contest pitting Sachs against Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff — both sitting senators at the time — was the most contentious Legislative race in the state. Bogdanoff has considered running again, but hasn’t made any announcement.

Jonathan JamalMarc, an independent/no party affiliation candidate, has also filed paperwork declaring his intention to run for the seat.

The deadline to qualify as a candidate is June 20.