Off to the races

The most immediate election in Florida’s future is one to replace former Sen. Frank Artiles, a Miami Republican whose political career imploded after he directed a racially charged outburst at a fellow senator in a members-only club near the Capitol. But contenders are already lining up for other races as well.

Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, a Republican who lives in unincorporated Miami-Dade, said Tuesday he intends to run for Artiles’ Senate District 40 seat, as did Democrat Annette Taddeo, who was her party’s unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2014.

Taddeo will face state Rep. Daisy Baez, a Coral Gables health care executive who announced her candidacy for the seat last week.

On the GOP side, former Republican Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla also has opened a campaign account for the Artiles seat.

The Miami political world is also dealing with the retirement of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a moderate Republican who has owned her district for decades. Democratic state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Harvard-educated lawyer, said he intends to run for that seat when it comes up next year.

Rep. Jay Fant, R-Jacksonville, announced he would set his sights on a statewide office in 2018: attorney general.

“Big government leads to big problems,” said Fant, the first candidate to file paperwork to run to replace Pam Bondi, who is stepping down because of term limits.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam had already announced that he would run for governor in 2018.

By far the favorite, Putnam will still face contests in the race. Corcoran and Latvala are among the Republicans musing about a bid. And the Democratic side already has former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and Winter Park businessman Chris King lining up, with more potential candidates in the offing.