Former Miami Gardens Councilwoman Shannan Ighodaro, Christine Alexandria Sanon-Jules and state Rep. Ashley Gantt
Provided
Attorney and Miami lawmaker Ashley Gantt emerged Tuesday night from a competitive Democratic primary as the odds-on favorite to win a Florida Senate seat representing some of South Florida’s historically Black communities after easily dispatching two rivals.
Gantt, who has represented Overtown, Liberty City and other majority Black neighborhoods in Miami-Dade since she was elected to the state House in 2022, claimed the inside track to the Florida Senate District 34 seat by beating former Miami Gardens Councilwoman Shannan Ighodaro and Christine Sanon-Jules Olivo.
The seat became available when state Sen. Shevrin Jones decided to run for Congress rather than seek reelection.
Gantt will face Republican Elizabeth Jeanty in November to claim the seat, which represents a liberal district stretching from Miami Gardens down to the Miami Design District and over to Bal Harbour, Surfside and Miami Beach.
Also Tuesday, voters around South Florida cast ballots in races for state House, including in the race for Florida’s 109th District, where James Bush III appeared to be on his way back to the state House. Bush III was comfortably ahead in a winner-take-all Democratic primary. Only Democrats filed to run for the seat, which opened the race to voters of all persuasions and set up Tuesday’s results to be the last word in the campaign.
In other Florida House races:
Lucia Baez-Geller appeared to defeat Ashley Litwin Diego in the Democratic primary for the 106th District. The winner will face Republican incumbent Rep. Fabian Basabe in November in a contest to represent the coastal area including Miami Beach.Former state Sen. Daphne Campbell was ahead of Dinah Escarment and Peter Walsh in Democratic primary for the 108th District. The winner will face Republican Wancito Francius in November to claim the open seat.Former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro held a slim lead over opponent Frank Lago in the Republican primary for Florida’s 113th House District, with a few precincts yet to report results. Gloria Romero Roses appeared to defeat Justin in the Democratic primary.Republican State Rep. Mike Redondo, in line to become Florida House speaker in 2030, easily fended off a challenge from Marco Insua in the GOP primary for the 118th District. Redondo will defend his seat against Democrat Armando Castillo in November.