Seven candidates had formally qualified as of Friday evening to run in a special election to replace Republican Congressman Mike Waltz, who has been tapped to become President-elect Donald Trump’s national security adviser.
The qualification period in Congressional District 6 started Friday morning and will end at noon Saturday. District 6 is made up of all or parts of Flagler, Lake, Marion, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties. State Sen. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, has drawn the backing of Trump in the race. Fine is a resident of Melbourne Beach whose knowledge of Flagler County may be mostly limited to the mile markers along I-95 and perhaps a few glimpses of the Palm Coast water tower. None of the announced candidates are from Flagler County.
In addition to Fine, Sorrento Republican Aaron Baker, Daytona Beach Democrat Purvi Bangdiwala, Elkton Democrat George A. “Ges” Selmont and Orlando Democrat John Weil qualified to run. Also qualifying were Ocala Libertarian Andrew Parrott and unaffiliated candidate Randall Terry, who ran unsuccessfully this year as the Constitution Party candidate for president.
Terry, who also lost a 2006 state Senate race, has long been a prominent anti-abortion activist. Terry’s address is listed as being on Oak Road in Arlington, Tenn.
Flagler County’s Joe Mullins, a one-term commissioner who lost his bid for re-election by a historic margin two years ago, had announced with great fanfare on WNZF’s Free For All Friday on Nov. 15 that he was “absolutely” running for the congressional seat, and that he was very excited about it. The $10,440 qualifying fee may have dissuaded him.
Special primary elections will be held Jan. 28, with the general election April 1. All mail ballot requests in the state will expire on December 31, so if anyone who voted by mail in the last election cycle wishes to do so again in the special election, the request must be renewed, though that my be done online here.
–News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive
