Two new candidates declared their intent to run for state-level offices in Florida between July 31 and Aug. 6, according to Ballotpedia’s ongoing tracking. This was one more candidate than the prior week.
Both candidates are Republicans and are running for the state legislature in 2024.
Kim Kendall (R) is running for Florida House of Representatives District 18. Kendall spoke of the following campaign issues, “Parental rights are a critical part of education and I will work tirelessly on this. St. Johns County is the fastest growing county in Florida. We must have the infrastructure needed to support this growth responsibly. It is time for us all to stand boldly for the moral fabric of our nation.”
District 18 in the Florida House of Representatives covers a majority of St. John’s County that include Ponte Vedra Beach, which is in the southern outskirts in the city of Jacksonville. It is currently represented by Cyndi Stevenson.
“It’s my passion and I never back down from a challenge,” said Kendall. “When I was approached to co-found middle school sports and was told it was ‘impossible,’ I couldn’t wait to get busy organizing the right team and plan to make it happen!”
Jamie Watts (R) is running for Florida House of Representatives District 20. Watts said, “But what has become painfully clear to me is that if we don’t have strong leadership on a regional level, we are going to allow Jacksonville and Orlando to make the decisions about the future of District 20. We want more economic opportunity, but we are also passionate about maintaining our home-grown values and quality of life. I believe I can help make a difference in striking a balance between these two goals.”
District 20 in the Florida House of Representatives covers the southwestern portion of St. John’s County, all of Putnam County, the major portion of Clay County, and half of Marion County. It is currently represented by Bobby Payne.
Watts is currently serving as the mayor of Welaka, Florida.
“Bobby Payne has been a great state representative. Let’s build on what he has done, stand with Gov. DeSantis to protect our state from the radical left, and make District 20 a place we can remain proud to call home,” said Watts via writing in a press release.
Both District 20 and District 18 are within the Jacksonville metropolitan area. This is where Republicans have a stronghold in these districts in northern Florida around the Jacksonville area.
As of Aug. 6, Ballotpedia has identified 42 candidates for state-level offices in Florida, seven running in 2023 and 35 in 2024. Five hundred and eighty-five candidates ran for state-level office in Florida in 2022, while 520 ran in 2020. In 2022, 238 were Democratic, while 276 were Republican. In 2020, 266 were Democratic and 194 were Republican. Nationally, Ballotpedia has tracked 540 Democrats and 642 Republicans running for state-level office in 2023, and 94 Democrats and 137 Republicans running in 2024.
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