Florida Democrats Score Significant Win as Tom Keen Flips State House Seat

Keen's Victory in Special Election Seen as Bellwether for Democrats' Competitiveness in 2024

Florida Democrats celebrate a significant win as Tom Keen, an aerospace engineer, wins a special election for state House District 35, flipping what had been a Republican seat.
Keen defeated Republican Erika Booth, a teacher and member of the Osceola School Board, with 51.3% of the vote.
The special election was triggered when former Republican state Rep. Fred Hawkins resigned last year to become president of South Florida State College.
Keen's campaign focused on abortion rights and the homeowners' insurance crisis in Florida, which he called 'unaffordable' for many Floridians.
The election is seen as a bellwether for Florida Democrats' competitiveness in 2024, following their loss to Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022.