DeSantis Calls Special Elections for Florida Legislature Following Voter Lawsuit
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called special elections Tuesday for two vacant seats in the legislature after he failed to do so for two months — resulting in a lawsuit from voters.
In two executive orders, he scheduled elections to fill seats held by state Rep. Joel Rudman (R) and state Sen. Randy Fine (R), who both announced their resignations in November to run for Congress. Both special elections are scheduled for June 10, with the primaries taking place April 1.
A couple of weeks ago, the ACLU — on behalf of two Florida voters — filed a lawsuit against DeSantis, arguing that he violated his mandatory duty under the Florida Constitution and state law to call special elections when legislative vacancies arise.
DeSantis scheduling the two elections likely moots the lawsuit.
Learn more about the case here.
Original post, Jan. 9
The ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of a couple voters against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for failing to call special elections for two vacant seats in the state legislature.
The voters from Brevard and Santa Rosa counties argued DeSantis violated his mandatory duty to set special elections for vacancies under the Florida constitution and state law.
“The Santa Rosa community has the right to full representation in the Legislature; the governor’s refusal to call a special election deprives us of that right, breaking with decades of precedent,” Plaintiff Christina Forrest said. “It’s undemocratic and wrong.”
State Rep. Joel Rudman (R) and Sen. Randy Fine (R) resigned from the legislature over six weeks ago to run for congressional seats previously held by Republicans Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz, who President-elect Donald Trump tapped to join his cabinet.
Florida governors have historically taken action within a week of resignations to “ensure timely representation for constituents,” the ACLU said in a statement.
This is not the first time DeSantis has been sued over a special election. The ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit against him in 2023 after he didn’t call for an election for a vacant state House seat in Miami-Dade County.
“From Jeb Bush to Rick Scott, past governors moved quickly to ensure the people retained their voice in government. DeSantis’s refusal to do so is both troubling and illegal,” said Nicholas Warren, staff attorney for the ACLU of Florida.