(Photo via Rep. Michele Rayner’s Facebook)
TAMPA BAY | State Rep. Michele Rayner will return to the Florida House after winning her District 62 race Nov. 5, an election that saw the chamber retain its Republican supermajority.
The Democratic incumbent bested Republican challenger Nelson Amador to retain her seat, which represents parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. According to unofficial results from each Supervisor of Elections Nov. 7, Rayner received 59.14% of the vote in the latter and 78.43% in the former, triumphing over Amador’s 40.86% and 21.57%.
Rayner became the first Black, openly LGBTQ+ woman elected to the Florida Legislature in 2020. She told Watermark ahead of this year’s race that “as a member of the community, I have always stood up for our people and making sure that there is equity in the legislation I file and advocate for.”
The representative celebrated her decisive victory Nov. 5, thanking voters for their “overwhelming support and trust.”
“THANK YOU for believing in me and in the vision we share for Florida. From Hillsborough to Pinellas, it has been my honor to stand with you, fight for you, and work for meaningful change in our community,” Rayner shared via social media.
“Together, we’ve made history once, and together we are making a difference every day — advocating for better schools, reproductive healthcare, workers’ rights and the preservation of our civil liberties,” she continued. “This victory is yours, a testament to our resilience and unity. I’m honored to continue serving the district I was raised in, and I’m committed to fighting for positive change.”
Rayner also encouraged supporters to “keep pushing forward, tackling the challenges before us, and delivering real, life-changing results for everyone — no matter their neighborhood.”
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Democratic hopefuls Ashley Brundage and Nathan Bruemmer, however, fell short in their potentially historic bids for the state House. The former ran to represent Hillsborough County’s District 65 while the latter ran to represent Pinellas County’s District 61.
Should either candidate have beaten their respective district’s Republican incumbent, they could have become Florida’s first openly transgender lawmaker.
Brundage, who was the frequent target of transphobic mailers sent by the Florida GOP, received 42.73% of the vote to opponent Karen Gonzalez Pittman‘s 57.27% according to unofficial results. She thanked supporters Nov. 5 via social media.
“Although tonight’s results weren’t what we hoped for, I’m beyond grateful for the support, dedication and energy poured into this campaign,” Brundage shared. “Thank you to everyone who believed in our vision for Florida.
“Our work doesn’t stop here — I’ll continue standing up for our community and pushing for the change we need,” she continued. “Together, we’ve laid a foundation, and I look forward to seeing it grow.”
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In Pinellas County, unofficial results show that Bruemmer received 43.76% of the vote. His Republican opponent Linda Chaney received 56.24%.
