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Jennifer Webb Wins In Pinellas To Become First Openly-Gay Woman In Legislature

All 120 Florida House seats were up for grabs in 2018 and a few races offered a few firsts for candidates in Tampa Bay.

Republican Ray Blacklidge and Democrat Jennifer Webb battled for an open seat in Pinellas County’s House District 69 for the seat being vacated by Republican Kathleen Peters.

In the end, the win went to Democrat Webb who will become the first openly gay woman in the Florida Legislature.

In Hillsborough County, Republican Incumbent Representative Shawn Harrison lost his seat to Democrat Fentrice Driskell in Hillsborough’s House District 63. Driskell, an African American, is a political newcomer and was one of only six Florida House candidates who received an endorsement from former President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, in Sarasota County, Democrat Margaret Good held on to the seat she won in a February special election.

She fended off a strong challenge from former GOP state Representative Ray Pilon, who was trying to reclaim the District 72 seat.

Here’s the results of the other Tampa Bay area races:

District 32

  • Cynthia Brown – DEM -– 43.5 percent
  • Anthony Sabatini – REP – 56.51 percent

District 33        

  • Brett Hage – REP -–  69.51percent
  • Oren Miller – DEM -– 30.49 percent

District 34          

  • Ralph Massullo Jr. – REP (i) – 69.28 percent
  • Paul Reinhardt – DEM - – 30.72percent

District 35

  • Blaise Ingoglia – REP (i) - – 61.37 percent
  • Colleen Kasperek – DEM - 38.63 percent

District 36

  • Linda Jack – DEM – 41.2 percent
  • Amber Mariano – REP (i) – 58.8 percent

District 37

  • Tammy Garcia – DEM – 39.5 percent
  • Ardian Zika – REP – 60.5percent

District 38             

  • Daniel Burgess - REP (i) – 66.42percent
  • David ‘TK’ Hayes (NPA - Independent) ­– 33.58 percent

District 39

  • Ricky Shirah – DEM – 41.35 percent
  • Josie Tomkow – REP (i) -– 58.65 percent

District 40

  • Colleen Burton – REP (i) - – 57.66percent
  • Shandale Terrell – DEM -– 42.34 percent

District 42

  • Barbara Cady – DEM – 45.55 percent
  • Mike La Rosa – REP (i) – 54.45 percent

District 55  

  • Audrey Asciutto – DEM – 34.06 percent
  • Cary Pigman – REP (i) – 65.94 percent

District 56                

  • Melony Bell – REP – 74.53 percent
  • Jeff Mann – REP – 25.47 percent

District 57              

  • Mike Beltran – REP – 55.45 percent
  • Debbie Katt – DEM – 44.55 percent

District 58

  • Phil Hornback – DEM – 45.37 percent
  • Lawrence McClure – REP (i) – 54.63 percent

District 59              

  • Adam Hattersley – DEM – 51.33 percent
  • Joe Wicker – REP – 48.67 percent

District 60              

  • Debra Bellanti – DEM – 47.72 percent
  • Jackie Toledo – REP (i) – 52.28 percent

District 64

  • James Grant REP -- 52.03 percent
  • Jessica Harrington DEM -- 44.96 percent
  • Andy Warrener INDEPENDENT  -- 3.01 percent

District 65

  • Sally Laufer – DEM – 40.66 percent
  • Chris Sprowls – REP (i) – 59.34 percent

District 66

  • Nick DiCeglie – REP – 56.94 percent
  • Alex Heeren – DEM – 43.06 percent

District 67   

  • Dawn Douglas – DEM – 46.02 percent
  • Christopher Latvala – REP (i) – 53.98 percent

District 71    

  • Tracy Pratt – DEM – 44.4 percent
  • Will Robinson – REP – 55.6 percent

District 73

  • Liv Coleman – DEM – 38.11 percent
  • Tommy Gregory – REP – 61.89 percent

District 74

  • James Buchanan – REP – 56.88 percent
  • Robert Samuel Kaplan (Independent) – 2.57 percent
  • Tony Mowry – DEM – 40.54 percent

Copyright 2018 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7

Cathy Carter is the education reporter for WUSF 89.7 and StateImpact Florida.