Florida Democrats scored decisive victories in two special elections on Tuesday (September 2), signaling growing opposition to Republican leadership.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, RaShon Young and LaVon Bracy Davis both won their races for the Florida House and Senate, respectively.
Young, a legislative staffer and former NASA engineer, won House District 40 with 75 percent of the vote. Bracy Davis, who previously held the House seat, won Senate District 15 with 73 percent of the vote. Both Democrats surpassed the share won by 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in their respective districts.
On Tuesday, Bracy Davis, who will succeed the late Sen. Geraldine Thompson, honored her predecessor as she claimed victory in District 15.
“This is amazing, I’m grateful, I’m thankful. Every time I have the opportunity to speak, I mention the name of Senator Geraldine Thompson; she did such good work, and I am so excited to follow in her legacy,” she said.
In his victory speech, Young highlighted how he made history as the first Gen Z Democrat elected to the Florida Legislature.
“On this day, the people of this district elected the first Gen Z Democrat to the Florida Legislature,” he said. “This win belongs to all of us… And because you worked, we won.”
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried celebrated the wins in Tallahassee as a clear rejection of the GOP’s direction under Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“These results prove what we’ve known for a long time—Floridians are tired of political posturing, wasteful spending, and the never-ending culture wars that hurt our schools, our healthcare, and our wallets,” Fried said.
“Senator-elect LaVon Bracy Davis and Representative-elect RaShon Young are true community advocates… They care about and are ready to fight for what Central Floridians care about most: lower costs of living, safer communities, and people-first change,” she added.
Bracy Davis said she plans to reintroduce a Voters’ Rights Bill she worked on with Thompson. Young emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation.
“It is not always party politics. You have to work across the aisle to get things done… You don’t have to combat your moral obligations or ethical values to get stuff done,” Young said.
Fried noted that the Democratic victories in Orange County signal momentum for the party heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
“This is going to start setting us up for 2026… We are in unprecedented times.”
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