Luis Salazar walks in the 2026 St Pete Pride parade. (Photo by Ryan Williams-Jent)
TAMPA | Luis Salazar will face Republican Dan Weldon in November’s general election after winning the Aug. 18 Democratic primary for Florida House District 64.
Salazar entered the Hillsborough County race to succeed Democrat-turned-Republican Susan Valdes last year. He faced two Democrats in the primary, former Tampa City Council Member Mike Suarez and politico John Rodriguez.
According to election night results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, 8,131 votes were cast in the race for HD 64. Salazar won with 3,639 of them, or 44.75%, while Suarez received 35.64% of the vote and Rodriguez received 19.60%.
“The voters have spoken and the message is clear in House District 64,” Salazar tells Watermark Out News. “People are looking for new leaders who are ready to tackle the issues working Floridians face every day, from the rising cost of insurance to supporting our educators and making sure everyone has access to quality healthcare.
“I’ve built this campaign from the bottom up, with the support of working people and our community, not big donors or political insiders,” he continues. “I’m ready to keep fighting for a Florida where everyone has a fair shot, everyone is treated with dignity and equality means something for all of us.”
The Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and Equality Florida Action PAC each endorsed Salazar in the primary. He previously served as president of the caucus, a local chapter of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus of which he remains vice president.
Both organizations shared their congratulations.
“It’s quite a #PrideNight for our #LGBTQ #Mexican and #Latino communities!” the caucus shared:
“As an out and proud member of our community, Luis is dedicated to advocating for equality, fairness and safety for all families,” Equality Florida Action PAC added:
The general election will take place Nov. 3.
For more information about Salazar and his campaign, visit VoteLuis.com.
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