3 Republicans, 3 Democrats vie in potential swing House District 35

Six candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to represent a newly drawn sprawling Statehouse district covering much of east Orange and Osceola counties.

House District 35 ropes in east Orange communities such as Christmas, Bithlo, Waterford Lakes, Avalon Park, looping the rapidly growing Lake Nona, the Osceola city of St. Cloud and rural ranching communities further south.

Data also suggest the district could mark one of the area’s most competitive races — President Joe Biden carried precincts in this district by about 5% in 2020 and former gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum did by nearly 7 percentage points in 2018, according to data from MCI Maps. Roughly 80% of voters live in Orange, with the remainder living in Osceola.

The candidate with the biggest campaign bank account and most name recognition is Fred Hawkins Jr., a Republican who was elected to the House in 2020 after serving on the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners. His prior district covered a similar portion of Osceola but also included some of Polk County. Republicans Ken Davenport and Dianna Liebnitzky oppose him in the primary.

Three Democrats, none of whom have held elected office, are also on the ballot from all over the district: Rishi Bagga, of east Orange County, Tom Keen, of Lake Nona, and Tahitiana Munoz-Chaffin, of St. Cloud.

Election Day for the primary is Aug. 23, while early voting runs from Aug. 8 to Aug. 21. Vote-by-mail ballots must be requested by Aug. 13, and may also be returned to any early voting location or to the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m. Election Day.

Republicans

Hawkins was elected to the House for the first time in 2020. He defeated Liebnitzky in the primary, before narrowly winning the general by a 1.2% margin.

At the time of his 2020 win, he had been removed from his seat on the Board of County Commissioners by Gov. Ron DeSantis because of a felony arrest for impersonating a law enforcement officer. He was accused of flashing an honorary sheriff’s badge at a homeowner’s association meeting. Before the election. he applied for a pretrial diversion program, and saw the charges dropped last year after completing it, court records show.

Now, Hawkins is endorsed by DeSantis.

“[Hawkins] works hard for Central Florida in the legislature. I’m proud to work with him in Tallahassee to get things done for Florida. I’m excited to fight alongside him this November,” the governor tweeted.

Hawkins didn’t return a call or email seeking an interview for this story.

On his campaign website, Hawkins touts a bill he sponsored requiring high schools to teach ninth and 11th graders CPR, as well as another that gives free books to students in fifth grade or younger who are struggling to read. The website also states he helped increase per-student funding in Osceola and Polk counties.

Both Liebnitzky and Davenport mentioned Hawkins’ arrest in interviews.

Davenport, a flight attendant and former probation officer, said “there’s no way that [Hawkins] should have ever made it into being a representative.”

Despite the district’s geographical size, both Davenport and Liebnitzky agreed voters share concerns about development, traffic and water quality.

Liebnitzky said in Osceola, new subdivisions are constructed without adequately addressing congested roads. She said the legislature could require new developments to provide ample access to emergency vehicles.

Davenport said building throughout the district, including along Narcoossee Road, has strained traffic and clogged roads.

“They’re not doing anything to improve these roads,” he said. “We’ve got to do something to make the traffic flow better.”

Both Liebnitzky and Davenport say they support permitless carry of firearms, though Liebnitzky, who works in risk management at a hospital, said she doesn’t favor open carry. She said she’d support a referendum for it, however.

After Roe vs. Wade was overturned allowing states to ban abortions, Liebnitzky said she believes abortions “shouldn’t be a form of birth control” but also said it should be an option for families where the baby “is unsurvivable.” She said the issue should be put to a referendum.

Davenport said mothers should have a choice if proceeding with the pregnancy would put their life in danger. Abortions can be extended to those who become pregnant due to “violent crime,” he said.

Hawkins’ website doesn’t specifically mention either issue, but states he “supports legislation related to Personal Property Rights, Healthcare, the Environment, Economic Development and Pro-Gun.”

He holds a steep fundraising advantage, raising $243,752 and $48,555 through a political committee called “Floridians for Responsive Economic Development.” Davenport has $58,952, including $40,000 of his own money. Liebnitzky has $6,013; a majority of that is self-funded, records show.

Democrats

Democrats in the race see the district as a potential pick-up for the party.

Bagga, 39 of east Orange County, is a civil attorney and also owns a UCF-area hotel along with his parents and sister. An Indian American, Bagga said he’s running to highlight issues important to immigrant communities and younger voters.

He said he supports Medicaid expansion, and his background as an entrepreneur could help him make a business argument for it that may appeal to Republicans who will hold a majority, he said.

“We’ve been written a check and the check is sitting there and we won’t cash it because we don’t like who signed it,” he said. “It literally means more money in our state budget and a million more people covered by health insurance.”

He said he believes the response to mass shootings in Parkland and at Pulse nightclub needed a stronger response, and that Democrats could push for police transparency such as requiring body camera footage.

“... We can push [for] transparency; we can do that as a member of the minority party,” he said. “I think we can find some middle ground.”

He said his candidacy would elevate minority voices, which Democrats mounted as their top objection to redistricting.

“The main reason I’m running is there has been such a focus on culture war issues — I see them as distractions. I think there needs to be a return to issues that matter to Floridians,” he said.

Bagga has raised the most among Democrats in the race, with $43,475 so far, campaign finance records show.

Keen, 66 and a Navy veteran from Lake Nona, said homeowners insurance issues have been top-of-mind for suburban voters he’s spoken to. Others are worried about Florida banning abortion, which he opposes, as does Bagga and Munoz-Chaffin.

Keen serves on Orlando’s Citzens’ Police Review Board and Mayor Buddy Dyer’s Veteran Advisory Council. He also has the second highest total in his campaign account with $28,678 so far.

He said he’d fight for more funding for public schools and for environmental programs. He also said he didn’t think the legislature was taking homeowners’ insurance issues seriously, even as premiums are soaring and companies are going under.

“Their roofs were on fire and [the Legislature] was taking a garden hose to it,” he said, while conceded he didn’t know an exact solution. “I would say that a lot more research into the reasons is needed. My guess is it’s complex and we need to be in a serious mode to fix this.”

Keen previously took on City Commissioner Jim Gray for a seat on Orlando’s City Council and said he thought his moderate politics were a good fit for such a swing district.

“You don’t get back into the majority unless you start winning seats like this,” he said.

While Munoz-Chaffin, a real estate agent and former police officer in North Carolina, said infrastructure needs define the district.

“Our water is definitely a huge issue,” she said, citing brown water in St. Cloud. “That’s a basic human necessity and we shouldn’t be struggling the way we are.”

She also said access to public transportation is an issue for working people throughout the district, and families need multiple vehicles to make sure they can get to work and school.

“That’s a huge problem,” she said.

She’s raised about $4,000 so far.

rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com