Chris Dawson, Attorney, GrayRobinson and FRSA Legislative Counsel - November 2025
Florida politics is never short on shake-ups and heading into the 2026 session is no exception. Governor DeSantis has shuffled the deck with key appointments; House members have stepped into new roles and fresh faces are jumping into races for open seats. This month, we will dive deeper into this game of musical chairs and how it could set the tone for Florida’s 2026 legislative session.
Senate District 11
Ingoglia’s appointment as Chief Financial Officer created a vacancy in his Gulf Coast Senate seat. In the September special primary, former Republican State Representative Ralph Masullo, secured a decisive victory over Anthony Brice with 87 percent of the vote. He will advance to face Democrat Ash Marwah in the special general election on December 9th.
Senate District 15
Following the passing of Senator Geraldine Thompson, her mentee, State Representative LaVon Bracy Davis, vacated her House seat to run for her late mentor’s Senate seat. After securing a special primary victory over her brother, Randolph Bracy, she went on to win the special general election with nearly 73 percent of the vote against Republican William Montague. Now serving in the Senate, Bracy Davis plans to continue her leadership on behalf of Orange County as she heads into the 2026 session.
House District 40
RaShon Young has made a successful leap from aide to legislator after winning the special election for House District 40. Formerly the chief legislative aide to Representative LaVon Bracy Davis, Young entered the race after Bracy Davis vacated her seat to pursue a Senate run. Young defeated former Democratic Representative Travaris McCurdy in the primary and went on to capture more than 75 percent of the vote in the special general election against Republican Tuan Le. At 26 years old, Young became the first Democratic member of Gen Z elected to the Florida House.
House District 52
Republican Representative John Temple has been unanimously selected by the Lake-Sumter State College Board of Trustees to serve as the institution’s next President. Since his election to the Florida House in 2022, Temple continued to work as the Vice President of Workforce Programs at the College. Following his appointment, he announced his resignation from the Legislature. Temple’s district covered Sumter County and portions of Hernando County. As of the end of September, the only candidate to enter the race for his seat is Republican Samantha Scott. Receiving a notable endorsement from AIF, Scott is a business owner, DeSantis appointee and current Chair of the Republican Party of Sumter County.
House District 87
Effective in August, Republican Representative Mike Caruso was appointed by Governor DeSantis to serve as Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Caruso had represented Palm Beach County in the Legislature since 2018, serving in both Districts 87 and 89. Throughout his tenure, he became known as a strong ally of the Governor. Tensions between Republican House leadership and the Governor during the 2025 session placed Caruso in a unique position; in a near-unanimous vote, he cast the sole vote against immigration enforcement legislation opposed by the Governor. Shortly thereafter, House leadership removed him as Chair of the Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee and reassigned his office to the so-called “basement.”
Before entering public service, Caruso owned Caruso & Caruso, Inc., a Certified Public Accounting Firm. He has noted that this professional experience will serve him well in his new role as the first Republican Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller.
With his resignation, House District 87 is now vacant and a special election is anticipated. Candidates already in the race include Republicans Gretchen Miller Feng and Jon Maples as well as Democrats Emily Gregory and Laura Levites. As of mid-September, Maples led the fundraising field, with his opponents trailing by more $30,000. He also secured a notable endorsement from neighboring Representative Meg Weinberger of District 94, widely known as “MAGA Meg” for her close alignment with the Trump administration.
House District 90
The September primary election for House District 90 resulted in Maria Zack securing the Republican nomination by a margin of 159 votes over Bill Reicherter. She will proceed to the special general election on December 9th, where she will face Democrat Rob Long, Vice Mayor of Delray Beach and NPA candidate Karen Yeh. This special election was necessitated by the passing of Representative Joe Casello during the 2025 legislative session.
Chris Dawson is an Attorney and professional Lobbyist for GrayRobinson’s Orlando office and is licensed to practice law in both Florida and Alabama. He primarily focuses on lobbying and government relations for public and private sector clients at the executive and legislative levels of state government. He is credentialed as a Designated Professional Lobbyist by the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists. Chris also holds two degrees in Civil Engineering and has experience in construction litigation and design professional malpractice defense.