Florida Senate candidates Democrat Daryl Parks (center) and Republican incumbent Corey Simon (right) take the state for a debate Oct. 15, 2024, in the
Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix)
Republican Sen. Corey Simon’s bid for reelection against Democrat Daryl Parks could solidify the GOP’s hold over a North Florida district that was once a stronghold for Democrats.
But Parks, a civil rights attorney, is not letting the former NFL player skate by to victory. As early voting started on Monday, Parks joined Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried in Tallahassee to advance his candidacy. He also plans to conduct “souls to the polls” events targeting churches.
What’s at stake in the race?
Although Democrats outnumber Republicans in Senate District 3, which encompasses 13 counties in the Panhandle and Big Bend, Simon proved in 2022 that an advantage in registered voters alone wasn’t enough to defend the seat. Half of the Senate is up for reelection in November, but this is the only seat that Dems are targeting to gain more power in the chamber, where 12 of 40 lawmakers are Democrats.
Republican incumbent Sen. Corey Simon. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix)
Nearly 31,000 Floridians in the district have voted via mail, with Democrats making up 54% of those votes, according to the Florida Division of Elections. That advantage of more than 6,000 ballots could disappear as early voting started on Monday in eight counties within the district, with 46% of the votes as of Tuesday morning from Republicans, according to the division of elections. In 2022, 48% of early votes came from Republicans.
In trying to woo voters, Simon has emphasized his ability to bring money to the district, a feat that could be more difficult for a Democrat as part of their superminority. To Simon, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped to lead Volunteer Florida in 2020, it’s all about having a seat at the table.
“The numbers just don’t add up. When you look at a supermajority in the Senate, and a supermajority in the House, and a Republican in the governor’s mansion, access to resources when you’re not willing to compromise on certain issues is problematic,” Simon said during the only debate between the candidates in Tallahassee on Oct. 15. “There’s a reason why we’ve seen more money coming to this district over the last two years than we have in the last two decades.”
Reining in property insurance costs
As in the rest of the state, property insurance and abortion have dominated the discourse in this race. As insurance costs go up and more companies drop clients, finding a fix is one of the top issues for Floridians in the Big Bend, where three hurricanes tore through in the past 13 months.
In a campaign event in Wakulla County on Oct. 13, Parks told attendees he would call for a special session, and on the debate stage he said he would get rid of the changes the Legislature enacted making it harder to sue insurance companies.
“He’s about corporate giveaways. He wants to give them the money. We need laws that protect the consumers,” Parks said during the debate.
“Now we have a bunch of citizens not getting recourse, and we’re going to see byproduct of all those homes that won’t get fixed,” he said.
SD3 Democratic candidate Daryl Parks answers questions from Wakulla County residents at a campaign event on Oct. 13, 2024. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix)
Parks has also called out the contributions Simon has received from the insurance industry. Simon’s campaign and his PAC have received more than $114,000 from insurance companies, associations, and agents since 2023, according to campaign finance records. Around 42% of contributions to Parks’ campaign came from people, mostly attorneys, who donated $1,000.
Meanwhile, Simon expressed support for bringing back a bill proposed in the 2024 session allowing insurance companies to transfer some of their risk to a state-run fund.
“Before I came in the office, we were hemorrhaging companies that were representing our families. It was hard for folks to find insurance,” Simon said during the debate. “It still is, but what we’re seeing is that sphere is starting to get a little bit better. We’ve got continued work to do.”
Kelly Roberts has been a Wakulla resident since 1989. Like others who attended the Parks campaign event at the Lodge at Wakulla Springs, he’s worried about what future hurricanes could mean for the county, which lacks any shelters that can withstand major hurricanes.
“I’m a homeowner, and [insurance] just keeps going up. I’m retired, and I have what I got coming in. After a while, it’s gonna be more going out,” Roberts told the Phoenix at the campaign event.
Simon’s abortion line
A back-and-forth between the candidates has also played out on the abortion front. Simon was one of two Republicans in the Senate who voted against Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which went into effect in May.
But voters are now deciding whether they want to retain the existing restrictions on abortion or enshrine access to the procedure until viability in Florida’s Constitution. This time, Simon is sticking with the Florida GOP’s stance against Amendment 4 while trying to distance himself from the six-week ban.
During the debate last week, he said the amendment would go too far and reiterated his support for allowing abortions up to 15 weeks. However, that’s not an option on the ballot.
“I think most people, when they look at the abortion laws in the state, and they look at my voting record, they say, ‘You know he’s been pretty moderating his approach,’” Simon said. “I want to protect the child. I want to protect the family. I want to make sure that the mother and father of that child that may be pregnant make sure that they know what’s going on.”
The amendment would still require parental notification for minors seeking abortions.
Florida Senate District 3, via Florida Senate.
In ads, Parks has criticized other committee and bill amendment votes Simon has taken in the Senate, including one in favor of a 2024 bill that would have allowed wrongful death lawsuits for the loss of a pregnancy at any stage. Abortion-rights advocates opposed the bill, which died before making it to the floor, saying it would have established fetal personhood.
“He is voting against the abortion amendment that’s on the ballot, right? If you vote against the ballot initiative, it means you’re for the six-week ban,” Parks said in a phone interview with Florida Phoenix. “So, he can’t have it both ways. He’s a wishy-washy politician.”
Regarding his stance on Amendment 4, Parks said abortion should be a private and intimate decision for women.
“I have two beautiful daughters, and my vision for my daughters is that they have the right to choose to make medical decisions with their doctor. I strongly believe that,” Parks said during the debate.
Heading into the final weeks of the race, Parks has spent nearly all the $553,000 he has raised; according to campaign finance records, he has roughly $58,000 in cash on hand. Simon has only spent $181,920 of the $754,000 his campaign has raised directly, and he also has the backing of incoming Senate President Ben Albritton, who told the News Service of Florida he is willing to spend “whatever it takes” for the GOP to hold on to the seat.