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Florida House of Representatives District 44
Florida House of Representatives District 44 is represented by Jennifer Harris (D).
As of the 2020 Census, Florida state representatives represented an average of 179,754 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 157,506 residents.
About the office
Members of the Florida House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits.[1] Members of the House may serve no more than four consecutive terms. Florida legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.
Qualifications
Article III, Section 15 of the Florida Constitution states: "Each legislator shall be at least twenty-one years of age, an elector and resident of the district from which elected and shall have resided in the state for a period of two years prior to election."[2]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[3] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $29,697/year | $175/day for a maximum of 60 days. Members can also receive per diem outside of the session. |
Term limits
- See also: State legislatures with term limits
The Florida legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Florida Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Florida representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms.
The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.[4]
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Florida State Legislature, a special election must be called to fill the vacant seat.[5] The governor is responsible for calling the election and must consult with the secretary of state to set the election dates and nominating deadlines.[6] The person elected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.[7]
See sources: Florida Stat. § 100.101
District map
Redistricting
2020 redistricting cycle
On March 3, 2022, the Florida Supreme Court approved new legislative maps drawn by the Florida State Legislature. These maps took effect for Florida's 2022 legislative elections.
The maps were passed by the legislature as a joint resolution. The Florida State Senate voted 34-3 to approve the bill on January 20, and the Florida House of Representatives voted 77-39 to approve the bill on February 2.[8] Since the maps were passed as a joint resolution, they did not require the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to become law. After the legislature approved the maps, they submitted them to Attorney General Ashley B. Moody (R), who then petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to review the maps on February 9.[9][10]
How does redistricting in Florida work? In Florida, both congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. Congressional lines are adopted as regular legislation and are subject to gubernatorial veto. State legislative lines are passed via joint resolution and are not subject to gubernatorial veto. State legislative district maps are automatically submitted to the Florida Supreme Court for approval. In the event that the court rejects the lines, the legislature is given a second chance to draft a plan. If the legislature cannot approve a state legislative redistricting plan, the state attorney general must ask the state supreme court to draft a plan. There are no similar procedures in place for congressional districts.[11]
The Florida Constitution requires that all districts, whether congressional or state legislative, be contiguous. Also, "where doing so does not conflict with minority rights, [districts] must be compact and utilize existing political and geographical boundaries where feasible." Districts cannot be drawn in such a way as to "favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent."[11][12]
Florida House of Representatives District 44
until November 7, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Florida House of Representatives District 44
starting November 8, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2024
See also: Florida House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
The general election was canceled. Incumbent Jennifer Harris won election in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 44.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44
Incumbent Jennifer Harris defeated Daisy Morales in the Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44 on August 20, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jennifer Harris | 65.0 | 7,335 |
 | Daisy Morales | 35.0 | 3,949 | |
| Total votes: 11,284 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2022
General election
The general election was canceled. Jennifer Harris won election in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 44.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44
Jennifer Harris defeated incumbent Daisy Morales in the Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44 on August 23, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer Harris | 54.2 | 8,348 |
| Daisy Morales | 45.8 | 7,053 | |
| Total votes: 15,401 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2020
General election
General election for Florida House of Representatives District 44
Incumbent Geraldine Thompson defeated Bruno Portigliatti in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 44 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Geraldine Thompson (D) | 52.4 | 61,564 |
 | Bruno Portigliatti (R) | 47.6 | 55,950 | |
| Total votes: 117,514 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44
Incumbent Geraldine Thompson defeated Andy Farrell in the Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44 on August 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Geraldine Thompson | 80.9 | 14,412 |
 | Andy Farrell | 19.1 | 3,407 | |
| Total votes: 17,819 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Shante Munns (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44
Bruno Portigliatti defeated Frank Blanco in the Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44 on August 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bruno Portigliatti | 74.0 | 10,124 |
| Frank Blanco | 26.0 | 3,562 | ||
| Total votes: 13,686 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Tamberly McCarus (R)
- Usha Jain (R)
- Raleigh Steinhauer (R)
2018
General election
General election for Florida House of Representatives District 44
Geraldine Thompson defeated incumbent Bobby Olszewski in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 44 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Geraldine Thompson (D) | 51.3 | 42,108 |
 | Bobby Olszewski (R) | 48.7 | 39,951 | |
| Total votes: 82,059 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44
Geraldine Thompson defeated Margaret Gold in the Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Geraldine Thompson | 59.6 | 7,249 |
| Margaret Gold | 40.4 | 4,914 | ||
| Total votes: 12,163 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44
Incumbent Bobby Olszewski advanced from the Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 44 on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Bobby Olszewski |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
A special election for the position of Florida House of Representatives District 44 was called for October 10, 2017. There was a special primary election on August 15, 2017.[13] The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the election was June 20, 2017.[14]
Candidates who successfully filed to run in this election include Democrat Paul Chandler and Republicans Usha Jain, John Newstreet, Bobby Olszewski, and Bruno Portigliatti.[15] Chandler was the only Democrat to file on June 20, so there was no Democratic primary held. Jain, Newstreet, Olszewski, and Portigliatti faced off in the Republican primary on August 15.
Olszewski won the Republican primary. He competed in the special election on October 10.[16]
On August 22, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Chandler had withdrawn from the race due to a lawsuit that alleged he was not a resident of Florida and ineligible to run.[17]
On August 25, the Sentinel reported that Chandler was reconsidering withdrawing from the race as he never officially submitted his withdrawal papers.[18]
On September 8, 2017, Chandler officially withdrew from the race. Although he was replaced by Democrat Eddy Dominguez, his name still appeared on the ballot.[19][20]
On October 10, Olszewski won the special election, according to unofficial results.
The seat became vacant following the resignation of Republican incumbent Eric Eisnaugle. He was appointed to the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal by Governor Rick Scott (R) on May 8, 2017. He officially resigned his seat on May 18, 2017.[21] Eisnaugle represented the seat from 2014 to 2017. In the 2016 presidential election, District 44 voted for Hillary Clinton (D) over Donald Trump (R) by a 6.2 point margin.
Paul Chandler withdrawal
On August 8, Windermere, Florida, resident Charles Hart filed a lawsuit alleging that Paul Chandler voted in Missouri in the 2016 elections and thus was not a legal resident of Florida and ineligible to run.[22] According to Article III of the Florida Constitution, “an elector and resident of the district from which elected and shall have resided in the state for a period of two years prior to the election.”
Chandler released the following statement: “I have been a resident of Orange County for over two years. My 2012 Florida state ID remains valid. This is an attempt to bring Trump-style reality TV politics to Orange County and distract from the real issues that my campaign is working to address, like health care, education, and jobs.”[22]
Florida has closed primaries, meaning only voters registered with a party can vote in them. According to the website Florida Politics, if one party does not put up a candidate in an election, then the primary for the party that does have candidates would have to be open to all voters, possibly invalidating the results of the closed Republican primary held August 15.[22] Early voting began in the closed Republican primary on August 5. According to Orange County Democratic Chair Wes Hodge, state law would allow Democrats to appoint a new candidate in the event that Chandler’s candidacy was invalidated.[23]
The Newstreet, Olszewski, and Portigliatti campaigns all released statements regarding the Chandler lawsuit’s possible effect on the Republican primary. Newstreet spokesman Alan Byrd said, “More than 3,500 Republicans have voted in this election to date. They have participated in their American right to vote. To have a court invalidate their choice simply cannot happen and we plan to fight to protect their votes.” Olszewski said, “We’re focused on our positive, conservative message and reaching voters for great results on Tuesday,” Portigliatti said that the lawsuit sounded like a “desperate attempt to affect the outcome,” and that he and his staff were weighing a response. The Jain campaign did not release a statement.[22]
On August 22, Chandler announced that he was planning to withdraw from the race. According to Wes Hodge, “There’s an air of uncertainty hanging over this lawsuit. We were confident that Paul was a resident but after speaking with several attorneys we felt it was up to a judge’s interpretation.”[17]
On August 25, Chandler announced that he had not yet withdrawn from the race and was still making a decision on how to proceed. He said that the original announcement about his withdrawal had been made under pressure from Democratic Party leaders and added, “I have the right to officially end my campaign when I end it.” Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said he would delay sending out mail-in ballots for members of the military until it became clearer who would represent the Democratic Party in the October 10 special election. The ballots were originally scheduled to be sent out on August 26 after the results of the August 15 Republican primary were officially certified.[18]
On August 28, the first absentee ballots were mailed out and they included Chandler's name.[24]
On September 8, 2017, Chandler again withdrew from the race. On September 20, Fox 35 reported that Chandler would be replaced by Democrat Eddy Dominguez. Chandler's name still appeared on the ballot, but Orange County Supervisor of Elections Cowles planned to send notices letting voters know that a vote for Chandler was a vote for Dominguez.
| Florida House of Representatives, District 44, Special Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Eddy Dominguez | 44.4% | 5,529 | |
| Republican |  Bobby Olszewski |
55.6% | 6,937 | |
| Total Votes | 12,466 | |||
| Source: Florida Department of State | ||||
| Florida House of Representatives, District 44 Republican Primary, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|
Bobby Olszewski |
39.8% | 2,509 | ||
| John Newstreet | 38.2% | 2,411 | ||
| Bruno Portigliatti | 18.2% | 1,151 | ||
| Usha Jain | 3.8% | 239 | ||
| Total Votes | 6,310 | |||
| Source: Florida Department of State |
||||
2016
Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.
Incumbent Eric Eisnaugle ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 44 general election.[25][26]
| Florida House of Representatives, District 44 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Eric Eisnaugle Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source: Florida Division of Elections | ||
Incumbent Eric Eisnaugle ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 44 Republican primary.[27][28]
| Florida House of Representatives, District 44 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Eric Eisnaugle Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. Incumbent Eric Eisnaugle defeated Stephen Facella in the Republican primary and defeated Matthew Falconer (I) in the general election.[29][30]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Eric Eisnaugle Incumbent |
84.7% | 6,689 |
| Stephen Facella | 15.3% | 1,208 |
| Total Votes | 7,897 | |
2014
Eric Eisnaugle (R) defeated Shaun Raja (D) in the special election, which took place on April 8.[31][32] Raja was unopposed in the March 11 Democratic primary, while Eisnaugle defeated Stephen Vincent Facella in the March 11 Republican primary.[33][34]
Eisnaugle, a state representative from 2008-2012, chose not to run for re-election in 2012 when redistricting drew him against fellow Rep. Stephen Precourt (R). With Precourt term-limited in 2014, Eisnaugle planned to run for the seat again. Several Republicans, including Speaker Steve Crisafulli (R), backed Eisnaugle. "Eric’s track record of leadership will allow him to serve his Orange County constituents well. It is obvious that his message of job growth and fiscal responsibility resonated with the voters of his district." Crisafulli said.[35]
The seat was vacant following Stephen Precourt's (R) appointment as the head of the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority.[36]
A special election for the position of Florida House of Representatives District 44 was called for April 8, with a primary if necessary on March 11. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 23.[37]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Eisnaugle |
74.2% | 6,983 | |
| Democratic | Shaun Raja | 25.8% | 2,429 | |
| Total Votes | 9,412 | |||
2012
Elections for the Florida House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 14, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 8, 2012. Incumbent Stephen Precourt (R) was unopposed in both the general election and Republican primary.[38][33]
Campaign contributions
From 2012 to 2024, candidates for Florida House of Representatives District 44 raised a total of $1,836,239. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $108,014 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Florida House of Representatives District 44 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $130,922 | 2 | $65,461 |
| 2022 | $82,182 | 2 | $41,091 |
| 2020 | $527,123 | 4 | $131,781 |
| 2018 | $415,152 | 3 | $138,384 |
| 2016 | $99,548 | 1 | $99,548 |
| 2014 | $429,953 | 4 | $107,488 |
| 2012 | $151,359 | 1 | $151,359 |
| Total | $1,836,239 | 17 | $108,014 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Florida Senate Website Archive, "Florida Constitution," accessed December 16, 2013(referenced Article III, Section 15a)
- ↑ The Florida Senate, "Constitution of the State of Florida," accessed February 10, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Florida State Legislature, "Florida Constitution," accessed February 11. 2021
- ↑ Florida Legislature, "2023 Florida Statutes," accessed January 23, 2024 (Statute 100.101(2), Florida Election Code)
- ↑ Florida Legislature, "2023 Florida Statutes," accessed January 23, 2024 (Statute 100.141 (1) (2), Florida Election Code)
- ↑ Florida Legislature, "2023 Florida Statutes," accessed January 23, 2024 (Statute 100.111 (1) (a-c), Florida Election Code)
- ↑ Florida State Senate, "CS/SJR 100: Joint Resolution of Apportionment," accessed March 3, 2022
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Florida Legislature approves redistricting maps for Senate and House," February 3, 2022
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Ashley Moody petitions court on legislative maps as congressional redistricting continues to pitter," February 9, 2022
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 All About Redistricting, "Florida," accessed April 22, 2015
- ↑ Florida Constitution, "Article III, Sections 20-21," accessed April 22, 2015
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Dates set for special election to replace Eric Eisnaugle in House," May 26, 2017
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "2017 Special Election - State Representative 44 Candidate Qualifying Memorandum, May 26, 2017
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "GOP primary set for Eisnaugle's House seat, Democrat unopposed," June 20, 2017
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Robert ‘Bobby O’ Olszewski wins HD 44 Republican special primary," August 15, 2017
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Orlando Sentinel, "Democrat Paul Chandler withdraws from state House race," August 22, 2017
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Orlando Sentinel, "Democratic state House candidate reconsiders dropping out of the race," August 25, 2017
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Democrat Paul Chandler withdraws from HD 44 special election," September 13, 2017
- ↑ FOX 35, "Democrat Dominguez to run in Florida House special election," September 20, 2017
- ↑ Orlando Rising, "Eric Eisnaugle makes House departure official," May 22, 2017
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Florida Politics, "Lawsuit seeks to invalidate Paul Chandler’s HD 44 candidacy, could jeopardize whole special election," August 9, 2017
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Lawsuit seeks to disqualify Democrat candidate in House race," August 9, 2017
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Absentee ballots for HD 44 special election include Paul Chandler," August 28, 2017
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Candidate listing for 2016 general election," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed November 23, 2016
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Candidates and Races," accessed July 1, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "August 30, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed September 22, 2016
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "2014 Florida Election Watch - Multi-County or District Offices," accessed September 3, 2014
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel "Eric Eisnaugle wins special election in Florida House District 44," April 8, 2014
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Official special election results," accessed May 7, 2014
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Florida Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed January 24, 2014 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "list" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ sunshinestatenews.com, "Eric Eisnaugle Closer to Tallahassee Return After Big Primary Win," March 11, 2014
- ↑ sunshinestatenews.com, "Eric Eisnaugle Breezes Back to Florida House after Stunning Special Election Victory," April 8, 2014
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Special election set to replace Steve Precourt in Florida House," January 12, 2014
- ↑ Florida Department of Elections, "H44 Notice of Election," accessed January 21, 2014
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Official 2012 General Election Results," accessed December 6, 2013
