Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida July/August 2019 | Page 10

SPECIAL ELECTIONS FILL
THREE HOUSE SEATS
Scott Jenkins
During the 2019 Regular Session, three House seats were vacant due to the Governor DeSantis’s filling
of agency positions with legislators. House District 7’s Halsey Beshears was appointed Commissioner
of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation;; House District 38’s Daniel Burgess
was appointed Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs; and, House District 97’s
Jared Moskowitz was appointed Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. On June 18th,
these seats were officially filled as their special elections took place. The new legislators will serve out the
remainder of their predecessors’ terms and then be able to serve an additional 8 years in these seats if
reelected every two years.
HOUSE DISTRICT 7 HOUSE DISTRICT 38 HOUSE DISTRICT 97
Republican
Natural
Gas/
Propane Businessman Jason
Shoaf beat Democrat Activist
Ryan Terrell 71% to 29%. House
district 7 is one of the largest
by land mas in the state. This
sprawling Panhandle district
is contained within Calhoun,
Franklin,
Gulf,
Jefferson,
Lafayette, Liberty, Madison,
Taylor, Wakulla and part of Leon
counties. While it was historically
a
Blue-Dog
(Conservative)
Democrat District, this district
has turned solidly Republican in
recent years. Republican Business Executive
and Pasco County Republican
Party Chairman Randy Maggard
beat Local Democratic Party
Executive Committee member
Kelly Smith 56% to 44%. House
District 38 is encompassed in
part of Pasco County, north of
Tampa. While this district has and
continues to elect Republicans to
the State House, the Democrats
have been making gains in
recent years. Former Coral Springs City
Commissioner Democrat Dan
Daley did not have to wait until
June to learn that he was the next
Representative from District 97. On
February 14th, Daley had learned
that he was the only candidate to
file and qualify to run for this seat.
Unfortunately, he had to wait until
the preset June election date to
take his seat. House District 97
is within Broward County and is
solidly Democrat.
Randy Maggard is a Dade City
resident and Vice President of
Sonny’s Discount Appliances.
He is married and has three
children, daughter and two
sons. He received his associate’s
degree from Pasco Hernando
State College and enjoys fishing,
hunting, spending time with
grandchildren, and traveling. A resident of Coral Springs, Dan
Daley is the Corporate Counsel
of 13th Floor Homes. He had
been a Republican, but switched
to the Democratic Party in 2015,
citing his former party’s positions
on social issues. He received
his undergraduate degree from
Florida State University and his law
degree from Nova Southeastern.
He enjoys hiking, horseback
riding, and scuba diving.
Port St. Joe resident Jason Shoaf
is Vice President of St. Joe Natural
Gas Company. He is married and
has a son and a daughter. He
is a graduate of Florida State
University and enjoys camping,
family, fishing, and hunting.
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DITCHMEN • JULY/AUG 2019