Florida Republicans Drop Below 80 House Seats
The GOP supermajority in the state House is gone, but the party retains a slim lead in the Senate after Tuesday's elections.
By Alina Carter ·
Florida Republicans lost their supermajority in the state House on Tuesday.
The party held 82 seats before the election but is poised to drop approximately 15. This loss reduces their total to under the 80 seats required for a two-thirds vote. Democrats held 34 seats prior to the results, with four additional seats previously held by Republicans remaining vacant at the start of the count.
The shift ends the era of unilateral Republican control in the lower chamber. House Democratic Leader-designate Christine Hunschofsky stated that breaking the supermajority means Republicans can no longer act alone on major decisions. Specific powers at stake include overriding a governor's veto and bypassing legislative rules, both of which require a two-thirds vote. Hunschofsky said Floridians stepped up to demand a different direction after years of one-party dominance.
Ten incumbent House members are set for defeat. These include Chad Johnson of Chiefland, Monique Miller of Palm Bay, Erika Booth of St. Cloud, and Rachel Plakon of Lake Mary. Others losing their seats are Danny Alvarez of Hillsborough County, Meg Weinberger of Palm Beach Gardens, Hillary Cassel of Dania Beach, Fabian Basabe of Miami Beach, Doug Bankson of Apopka, and Hilary Holley of Polk City.
Cassel switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican after her 2024 reelection. Basabe lost a civil trial this summer alleging sexual harassment of two former staffers; he has denied wrongdoing and is appealing the verdict. Miller's race against Democrat Daniel McDow appeared close enough to trigger a recount margin.
In the Senate, the Republican supermajority remains on thin ice. The chamber entered Tuesday with 26 Republicans, 12 Democrats, one independent, and one vacancy. A supermajority requires 27 seats. Democrat John Lowndes, the mayor of Maitland, was ahead of Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur of Sanford in a key district. The seat formerly held by Sen. Bryan Avila remains open as no special election has been called. Avila resigned to serve as lieutenant governor under Governor-elect Byron Donalds.
Republican President-designate Jim Boyd of Bradenton secured his victory in the Senate. Boyd told voters that families are struggling with affordability and that his new term will focus on the present. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee called the House results a stunning victory. President Heather Williams said the break in the supermajority allows Democrats to better fight back against extremism.
