Republican Brian Hodgers Wins Florida House District 32 Seat
Republican Brian Hodgers has clinched a comfortable victory in the June 10 special election for the Florida House District 32 seat, defeating his Democrat challenger Juan Hinojosa. Hodgers secured 14,488 votes, representing 55% of the total 26,255 votes cast, while Hinojosa garnered 12,088 votes, or 45%.
The special election was called by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of incumbent Republican Debbie Mayfield of Indialantic. Mayfield had held the seat until she was term-limited out of her previous Senate District 19 seat. She then won back the Senate seat in the same June 10 special election after a series of political maneuvers involving term limits and subsequent resignations.
District 32 encompasses parts of Central and South Brevard County, including Rockledge, Viera, Suntree, Melbourne, Indian Harbour Beach, and Indialantic. The seat comes with a two-year term and an annual salary of $29,697.
Hodgers, a real estate broker and insurance agent from Viera, has vowed to utilize his insurance expertise to lower rates for Floridians. He also aims to cap and roll back property taxes and ease regulatory burdens on small businesses. In the April 1 primary, Hodgers topped his opponents, securing 5,640 votes (35.02%).
The campaign was marked by a significant fundraising disparity between Hodgers and Hinojosa. As of June 5, Hodgers had raised $487,073 in monetary contributions, while Hinojosa had raised just $1,620. Hodgers attributed his victory to the ongoing migration of Americans to Florida, seeking relief from “big government” and emphasized the need to protect recent insurance reforms, reduce property taxes, and fund wastewater treatment facilities.
The outcome of this special election reflects the complex political dynamics at play in Florida’s District 32, where issues like insurance reform and property taxes were central to the campaign.
