Republican easily wins state house seat in Central Florida
TALLAHASSEE — Winter Garden Republican Bobby Olszewski comfortably won a special election Tuesday for an Orlando-area state House seat, replacing former lawmaker Eric Eisnaugle, who was appointed in May as an appellate judge.
With all precincts reporting, Olszewski captured nearly 56 percent of the vote in defeating Democrat Eddy Dominguez, who was a late entry in the House District 44 race, according to results posted on the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website.
Also Tuesday, Lawrence McClure won a Republican primary in Hillsborough County’s state House District 58, which was vacated in August by former Rep. Dan Raulerson, a Plant City Republican who suffered from a painful back condition.
With all precincts reporting, McClure received about 55 percent of the vote in topping Yvonne Fry in the GOP primary, according to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections website.
McClure will face Democrat Jose Vazquez, Libertarian Bryan Zemina and no-party candidate Ahmad Hussam Saadaldin in a Dec. 19 special general election in the Hillsborough district.
Olszewski, a former Winter Garden commissioner, won a tight Republican primary in August over John Newstreet but had an easier time in the general election.
Paul Chandler, the only Democrat who qualified to run for the seat, dropped out of the race last month amid questions about his eligibility. Democrats replaced Chandler with Dominguez, who had only about three weeks to campaign.
Tuesday’s elections were part of a somewhat-unusual series of special elections for state House seats.
Republican Daniel Perez on Sept. 26 won a special election in Miami-Dade County’s state House District 116, replacing former Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, a Republican who made an unsuccessful bid for an open Senate seat.
Also, a special primary election will be held Dec. 5 and a special general election is scheduled Feb. 13 in Sarasota County’s state House District 72.
Republican Alex Miller resigned from that seat this summer, citing business and family reasons.
Democrats Margaret Good and Ruta Jouniari, Republican James Buchanan and Libertarian Alison Foxall are running to try to replace Miller, who was elected to the seat last year.