The mid-term elections have finally come and gone in Florida. The result is a trail of candidates with questionable stances on LGBT issues heading to Washington D.C. And in Tallahassee, Republicans won all three cabinet posts and elected super-majorities in the state house and senate. The lopsided results are stunning in a state with more registered Democrats than Republicans, and left many LGBT activists concerned about setbacks.
“Florida has now elected the most anti-gay government since the 1970s, with veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and a governor who believes that gay people are undeserving of any civil rights protections, or adoption privileges, or even foster parent privileges,” said Orlando activist and documentary filmmaker Vicki Nantz.
Indeed, the election of Rick Scott as Governor was the most eye-opening statewide result. The political novice, who spent more than $75 million of his own money on his campaign, endured a bruising primary and was defined by a massive Medicare fraud scheme at a hospital chain he previously operated. Scott deflected the scandal and emerged with a scant 70,000 votes more than Democrat Alex Sink.
The gubernatorial election spotlighted the complexity of Florida politics. Sink won in Tampa Bay, Orlando, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and Southeast Florida—in some counties by more than 30 percentage points—but lost the rest of the state.
Scott has declared job creation, reducing taxes and shrinking government to be his top priorities. There is no indication that social issues will compete for his attention, but he is on the record as opposing same-sex marriage and gay adoption rights. Anti-gay forces like the Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver have announced that they will consider ways to reinstate an adoption ban. There is concern that Scott will align himself, or make no attempt to obstruct, right wing extremists within his party.
Democrats also took a beating in the U.S. Senate race. Republican and Tea Party candidate Marco Rubio easily won election, ending Gov. Charlie Crist’s bid to continue in politics as in Independent and leaving Democrat Kendrick Meek a disappointingly distant also-ran. Meek’s candidacy was compromised by last-minute maneuvering to throw moderate and liberal support behind Crist in an attempt to defeat Rubio.
“Kendrick has always been a great representative for his constituents, including the LGBT community,” said Michael Mitchell, executive director for National Stonewall Democrats. “We’ll miss his voice in Congress, although he’ll continue to be an ally for equality.”
Friends defeated in Tampa Bay
LGBT advocates took several hits throughout Tampa Bay. Democrat Kathy Castor reclaimed her U.S. House Dist. 11 seat, but Charlie Justice obtained just 35% of the vote in his bid to be reelected in U.S. House Dist. 10 against Republican Bill Young.
And in the House Dist. 57 seat, conservative Republican Dana Young defeated Democrat Stacy Frank, who compared her rival to Ronda Storms.
In the early morning hours on Election Day, Young released flyers vilifying Frank for supporting same-sex marriage and adoption by gays and lesbians. Equality Florida was quick to respond.
“It is a maneuver to scrape up a few more votes by appealing to prejudice when the chance for rebuttal has passed,” said Nadine Smith, EQFL executive director, who issued a challenge to Young. “Spend time with gay people who, right now, are providing safe, loving homes for children in our state’s foster care system. Talk to gay parents and their children to see what calling them ‘anti-family’ feels like. Then read those flyers again and see if you have the decency to be ashamed of them.”
In state races, Democrat Rick Kriseman, a former St. Pete city councilman and staunch LGBT advocate, was easily reelected to in House District 53. Republican Jack Latvala, who supports some LGBT issues, recaptured his Senate District 16 seat over Nina Hayden, while Democrat and equality advocate Michael Steinberg fell to Republican James Grant for the House District 47 seat. In House District 57, conservative Republican Dana Young defeated Democrat Stacy Frank, who compared her rival to Ronda Storms.
In Hillsborough County, Democratic supporters John Dingfelder and Linda Saul-Sena were defeated by Republicans Sandy Murman and Ken Hagan, respectively. LGBT advocate April Griffin, however, easily defeated Sally Harris in the District 6 Hillsborough County School Board race.
In Pinellas County, openly gay School Board candidate Jim Jackson fell to Lew Williams in a tight race decided by a mere five percentage points. In the County Commission race, Republican incumbent and LGBT advocate Susan Latvala easily defeated Democratic challenger Bob Hackworth.
High profile losses in Central Florida
In a virtual sweep of national and state races, Republicans netted some high-profile victories.
Daniel Webster easily defeated Democratic firebrand Alan Grayson in U.S. House Dist. 8, and fellow first-termer Suzanne Kosmas fell to Sandy Adams in U.S. House Dist. 24. The only local Democrat to earn reelection to national office was Corrine Brown in U.S. House Dist. 3, which extends from Jacksonville to Orlando.
After the election, Grayson hinted that he will return to politics.
“During the last two years I’ve heard from a lot of people that I’ve been saying what you’ve been thinking,” Grayson said. “And since the election, you’ve been saying what I’ve been thinking. The work goes on, the cause endures and the hope still lives.”
The Republican wave was just as powerful at the state level, where incumbents Scott Randolph in House District 36 and Darren Soto in House District 49 were the only Democrats to win election. Randolph beat openly gay Republican challenger Greg Reynolds by 60% to 37% in a heavily Democratic district. The other openly gay candidate for state office, Democrat Todd Christian, lost to incumbent Republican Eric Eisnaugle by a similar margin in House District 40.
Most compelling was the landslide in the race for Orange County Mayor. Former County Commissioner Teresa Jacobs easily outpolled Commissioner Bill Segal 68% to 32%. Although she is a Republican, Jacobs is widely perceived as bringing a new and more accountable dynamic to county politics. And although she expressed equivocal positions on LGBT issues prior to the election, she has met with LGBT activists and reportedly worked behind the scenes to push passage of a countywide HRO.
“I like Jacobs’ integrity and ideas,” said Nantz. “I give her enormous character points.”
Silver lining
LGBT politicos took heart in one major election victory: passage by the required 60% margin of two state constitutional amendments that will change the way state and national congressional districts are drawn. The state legislature draws districts every ten years, and in the past they have been gerrymandered to ensure reelection of incumbents and disproportionate influence by the party in power at the time. The amendments will require that districts be compact, contiguous, using existing city or county boundaries and not favoring any incumbent or political party.
“Our state is moving in the direction of equality, and record majorities of Floridians now stand with us on nearly every issue we fight for,” said EQFL’s Smith. “These amendments will create a much more balanced government that actually reflects where our state stands on LGBT issues.”
