With Senator Geraldine Thompson on her way out to run for Congress, the state Senate seat that she currently holds will be up for grabs when she officially announces and files papers to run in Congressional District 10.
Thompson hasn’t held the seat long as she was first elected to the Senate in 2012. But she’s been around Central Florida politics for awhile; serving in the legislature since 2006.
Rep. Bruce Antone (l), Rep. Randolph Bracy (r)
But with her time coming to a close, who may be next up to run for the Florida Senate in District 12? A couple of names have been mentioned, and if you think hard about it, not that tough to piece it together.
Representative Randolph Bracy (D – 45) – A quiet leader in the Florida House, he’s considered a rising start in Democratic circles. He was first elected in 2012 and hasn’t faced competition since the primary of that same year.
Not one to look for a camera or seek media attention, Bracy prefers to allow his work to do the talking.
Bracy sits on the Criminal Justice Subcommittee and was a leading voice on the House’s prison reform bill this past session. While he’s performed good work for the state, he’s likely known for a bill he filed to make recreational marijuana legal. The bill died in committee but Bracy took the charge in attempting to make Florida the next state in taking the criminality away from marijuana use.
He’s expected to soon announce his intentions to seek the Senate, but as of press time, he had no comment regarding the possibility of moving to the upper chamber.
Representative Bruce Antone (D – 46) – Been around Central Florida politics for awhile? Then you likely know the name Bruce Antone. First elected to the Florida House in 2002, he returned in 2012 when Thompson decided to run for the Florida Senate.
Since then, Antone has served quietly. Like Bracy, he doesn’t seek media attention or the camera.
Antone was instrumental in helping to move the Little Egypt community from septic to sewer and sponsored legislation regarding justified use of force when carrying a concealed weapon.
Seemingly comfortable in his current role, Antone hasn’t made up his mind as to if he’ll run.
In speaking with Antone about the seat, he was noncommittal as his decision may hinge on Thompson’s choice to run for Congress. With the pool of candidates for Congressional District 10 growing each day–rumors continue to abound that Congresswoman Corrine Brown may move to Orlando to run–Thompson may prefer the safety of District 12.
But if she does decide to seek Congress, Bracy and Antone are first on the list of potential replacements.
-JH
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