Former Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief fended off two opponents Tuesday night, winning the Democratic nomination to represent a wide swath of western Broward County in the Florida Senate.
The victory means Sharief — who won the nomination with 46% of the vote — will face Republican Vincent Parlatore in the November general election. Because Senate District 35 leans heavily Democratic, it is all but certain she will be elected to succeed state Sen. Lauren Book, a longtime Democrat who did not seek reelection because of term limits.
The race to represent the district — which includes Pembroke Pines, Weston and Miramar — was arguably the most contested legislative race in Broward County. It was the only state senate race in South Florida. There were four state House primary races in the region. Two of those races were decided Tuesday evening as there were only Democrats competing.
Senate race
Sharief, 52, is the founder and CEO of South Florida Pediatric Homecare. The former Broward County mayor also served as a county commissioner on and off from 2010 to 2021, when she made a failed bid for the 20th Congressional District seat left vacant by the death of Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings. And in 2022, Sharief ran a failed bid to unseat Book from her state senate seat.
This year, Sharief faced Rodney Jacobs Jr., 34, the executive director of the Miami Civilian Investigative Panel, and 30-year-old attorney Chad Klitzman, who in 2020 ran for county supervisor of elections.
In the race, Sharief sued Jacobs , alleging he defamed her by implying that she and her healthcare company defrauded Medicaid. Her company was accused more than a decade ago of overbilling Medicaid by nearly $500,000. Sharief ultimately paid nearly $700,000 to settle those claims, but has denied ever overbilling Medicaid and did not admit guilt as part of the settlements.
After the election results rolled in, Jacobs congratulated Sharief, saying that he believes she will do a “great job representing Broward in the state senate.”
While campaigning, Sharief pledged to protect access to reproductive rights and voting rights. On her website, she said she supports expanding Medicaid, which the Republican-led Legislature has rejected , and lowering homeowner insurance costs, which is an ongoing battle in the Legislature.
House races
Two of the four state House seats on the ballot were decided with the primary elections on Tuesday, as only Democratic candidates campaigned for the positions.
Wallace Aristide, 60, will replace Democratic state Rep. Christopher Benjamin in representing the northeast Miami-Dade House District 107, which includes Miami Gardens and North Miami Beach. Aristide is an educator and former Miami-Dade school principal, and defeated five Democratic primary opponents with nearly 45% of the vote .
Benjamin chose not to seek reelection and instead ran for Miami-Dade county judge.
And Miami Democratic state Rep. Ashley Gantt will return to Tallahassee for her second term representing House District 109, which runs southeast from Opa-locka into the city of Miami. Gantt, 39, is an attorney and former teacher. Earning more than 50% of the vote, she defeated challengers James Bush III, whom Gantt unseated in 2022, and Roy Hardemon. Hardemon used to represent neighboring House District 108 until he lost his 2018 primary to Democratic state Rep. Dotie Joseph of North Miami.
“It’s such an honor for my community to re-elect me. In 2022, they took a chance and I did what I promised,” Gantt told the Herald/Times just before 9 p.m. “Now, in 2024, I’m more ready and equipped with the knowledge to be effective while advocating for my community.”
Voters in other state House races decided Republican and Democratic primary elections, locking in the November ballot in those races.
Republican state Rep. Fabian Basabe was closing in on a clear victory with nearly 62% of the vote. The incumbent, Basabe bested primary challenger Melinda Almonte in House District 106, which spans the coast from Golden Beach down to Miami Beach. A businessman and former reality television personality, Basabe, 46, will face former Democratic state Rep. Joe Saunders and Saunders’ aunt, Maureen “Mo” Saunders Scott, an independent, in the general election.
Omar Blanco, a 52-year old Miami-Dade fire captain and former president of the county firefighters union, won the primary to replace in House District 115, which runs from Cutler Bay north to the West Miami area. Blanco ran against two Republicans, Moises Benhabib and Alian Collazo, in the primary to fill Republican state Rep. Alina Garcia’s seat after she stepped down to run for Miami-Dade elections supervisor. He will campaign against Democratic opponent Norma Perez Schwartz in the general election.
Just before 8:40 p.m. Blanco had been congratulated by both of his opponents, he told the Herald/Times.
“I want to thank the residents of District 115 for honoring me with their vote,” Blanco said.
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