Rep. Tom Keen and Erika Booth are running against each other to represent HD 35. They faced each in a special election in January for the same seat. (Photos: Provided by Keen’s campaign and from Booth’s website)
Tom Keen and Erika Booth face off to represent HD 35 in Central Florida 10 months after a special election that determined the same race.
This time, the race will appear down-ballot, overshadowed by higher-profile votes like the presidential and U.S. Senate elections plus highly funded and hard-fought constitutional amendment campaigns. Still, the race seems likely to feature higher turnout than in the special election, which saw just over 22,000 voters.
Now-Rep. Keen won the district, which spans parts of Orange and Osceola counties, in January, 51.3%-48.7%. Keen, a Democrat, took the seat after Republican Fred Hawkins left to assume the presidency of South Florida State College, prompting the special election.
Hawkins won the first race for the redrawn seat by nearly 11% in 2022 following reapportionment. The special election flip to a Democrat did not deter Republican Erika Booth from running for the spot again. She won the August Republican primary with 63% of the vote.
Booth’s academic and professional experience is in education, and she was elected to the Osceola County School board in 2022. She resigned from her position on the board to pursue the spot in the House. Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed her in the August primary. She lives in St. Cloud.
Keen, who lives in Orlando and is an aerospace entrepreneur and Navy veteran, emphasizes issues he said matter most to voters, like property insurance and abortion.
Property insurance
The insurance market has been unstable for years due to the storms that have wrecked parts of the state and companies’ costs of defending lawsuits challenging denial of coverage. Companies raising rates or withdrawing from the state prompted a 2022 law limiting lawsuits against insurers. The law did not require insurers to lower rates.
A Bankrate analysis of property insurance prices in the United States found that Floridians with $300,000 in dwelling coverage pay $3,242 more than the average American homeowner per year.
Voters are already seeing increased rates and denial of coverage since hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton smashed into Florida. The situation has forced people out of their homes or even the state.
“We’ve got to have a balance between insurance companies, who clearly need to make a profit — they won’t be a business if they’re not making a profit — but it has to be balanced with the rights of consumers,” Keen said in an interview with the Phoenix.
The incumbent is “hopeful, but I’m also pragmatic” about reforming property insurance, he said.
Until Gov. Ron DeSantis “decides that [property insurance] is a real problem,” Keen said, “then I don’t think the rest of the Republican Party in Tallahassee is going to vote.”
“[Insurance companies] are not being regulated. They are not being held accountable by the state. Republicans have ceded all power to the insurance companies and thinking that that’s going to solve the problem. And, in fact, that has not solved the problem,” Keen said.
Booth did not agree to an interview with the Phoenix and did not respond to emailed questions from the Phoenix in time for publication.
WKMG in Orlando published responses from Booth regarding some of the topics in the election like insurance, which she blamed on both Republicans and Democrats.
“First we must bring insurance company CEOs to Tallahassee and have them testify under oath as to why there has not yet been rate relief,” Booth told WKMG. “Second we must form a statewide investigative unit to find corruption, fraud, and profiteering and charge individuals involved.”
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Abortion
The Democrat said one reason he is the best candidate is his stance on Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana, and Amendment 4, which would create a right to abortion in the Florida Constitution. He supports both.
The Republican said she is in favor of a “compromise” on abortion, calling the existing six-week ban “too restrictive.”
“I want to end the use of women’s health issues as a political ping pong ball for election purposes and actually solve the problem,” she told WKMG.
Keen said the Legislature will have “a lot to do with implementing” amendments 3 and 4 if they receive 60% support. The amendments “have to be regulated,” he said.
“In the past, the Legislature has not done a good job, I don’t think, of listening to what voters wanted, and they tried to circumvent what the voters said,” he said, referring to regulation following the passage of medical marijuana.
Medical marijuana was approved in 2016, and the Florida Legislature imposed dispensary limits, rules for prescribers, and initially made it illegal to smoke.
If Amendment 3 passes, Keen said, the Legislature will limit where marijuana can be smoked, but he warned about overregulation to deny voters what they approved.
“I can see some craziness; I can see some laws being passed that will try to limit the scope of what voters just voted on. So, we’ll have to guard against that and make sure that that doesn’t happen,” Keen said.
Less than two weeks to go
As of Oct. 4, Booth had raised $191,225 and spent $80,668. The Booth PAC supporting her held $33,000, spending $15,909 of $49,725 according to records accessed Monday.
A Keen-supporting PAC has spent $105,015, with more than $135,000 contributed and $105,000 spent. His campaign, as of Monday, had spent $109,822 of the more than $220,000 contributed.
In her posted Q&A with the news station, Booth said she supports state assistance for qualified individuals looking to buy a house and for tourist development tax dollars to support local infrastructure.
Her campaign Facebook includes stances like:
“As a member of the State Legislature, I will fight to protect rural lands, our environment, and our agriculture industry.”
“HD35 deserves a representative that will work on transportation solutions, property insurance solutions, and foster an environment where businesses can grow. I am the only candidate in this race capable of getting that done.”
Booth’s campaign website does not elaborate on these platform points, although it does include information about her personal and professional life.
“Booth’s passion is helping her students find individual academic success. As a member of the local school board, she made certain that it was done in a safe, in-person environment supported by involved parents, an engaged community, and the highest quality professional educators and staff.”
Booth has endorsements from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Police Benevolent Association, and the Florida Professional Firefighters 3rd District.
Keen has endorsements from the Florida AFL-CIO, various labor unions, the Florida Education Association, Florida Planned Parenthood, Equality Florida, Florida Realtors PAC, and more.
Keen said Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic nominee has boosted support for all Democratic candidates.
“This is a down-ballot race; I don’t pretend that it’s not. And so, the best thing I can do is talk to voters at their door, real, real, retail politics,” Keen said.
Keen said he wants voters to recognize the lack of public statements from Booth.
“My opponent doesn’t seem to want to talk to press or actually come out and debate or talk about the issues,” he said.
“I want to hold her accountable for that. I want folks to know that you know who she is. She doesn’t talk about Amendment 3 and Amendment 4. You do not see them anywhere on hardly any of her literature, the mailers that she sends out. That’s an important thing. People need to know that.”
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