State Democrats Flip Seventh Seat from Red to Blue

 

 

 

WASHINGTON — Tonight Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Executive Director Jessica Post congratulated Senator-elect Annette Taddeo on her victory in the critical special election for Florida State Senate District 40. Taddeo’s victory brings the total number of seats picked up by state Democrats nationwide since the November election to seven. Taddeo, a small business owner and community leader, was featured as a DLCC Spotlight Race.

 

“This crucial win tonight is a great representation of Democrats’ winning momentum and increased engagement in the Trump era,” said Post. “Annette reached Florida voters because they know that she will fight for them, defending school funding and protecting natural resources along with standing up for immigrant families and protecting access to health care. The DLCC worked with legislative leaders and our progressive allies to ensure Annette’s campaign had the resources and support needed to win. We are proud of the DLCC’s work to deliver this special election win and help put Democrats on track to challenge Florida’s Republican trifecta by taking back the state Senate in 2018.”

 

“Senator-elect Taddeo’s win tonight is not only a step forward for Floridians, it is a step forward for Florida Democrats looking to bring progressive change to Tallahassee and prevent more harmful Republican gerrymandering in 2020,” said DLCC Board member and Florida House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz. “Florida Senate Democrats will benefit from Senator-elect Taddeo’s passion for ensuring quality education, access to health care, and equal rights as the caucus fights back against a detrimental Republican agenda.”

 

This victory is just the latest in a series of Democratic special election wins as the DLCC lays the groundwork for substantial gains in 2017 and 2018 in statehouses across the country. After tonight’s win, Democrats have successfully flipped seven legislative seats from red to blue and overperformed in the vast majority of legislative special elections since Trump’s inauguration.

 

State Democrats recently scored critical victories in Iowa, Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New York, and elsewhere. DLCC looks forward to continuing their support of Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey, Washington, and beyond as they build on Democrats’ winning momentum heading into the 2018 elections. You can learn more about critical upcoming elections and follow DLCC’s Spotlight Races at http://races.dlcc.org.