Erika Booth wins Florida House District 35 Republican primary

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Republican Erika Booth soundly defeated challengers Scotty Moore and Ken Davenport to win the special election Republican primary for House District 35.

Booth was congratulated by Rep. Daniel Perez, R-Miami on social media. Perez was designated the next speaker of the Florida House for the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

“Congratulations Erika Booth on your primary victory tonight,” Perez said. “Onward to victory in January!”

The district is covered partly by Orange County and Osceola County. Located in the central Florida, the areas are home to Orlando and Kissimmee, respectively.

Booth is currently a member of the Osceola County School Board, representing District 5. She was also raised in Kissimmee and went to Osceola County Public Schools.

According to Supervisor of Elections unofficial results from both counties, Booth received over 48% of the vote in Orange County and 52% in Osceola County.

Specifically, she received 2,417 votes in Orange County and 1,291 votes in Osceola County for an added total of 3,708 votes across both counties.

Moore received 31% of the vote in Orange County and 38% in Osceola County, collecting a combined 2,506 votes from both counties. Overall, Booth cleared Moore by over 17 points in Orange County and by nearly 14 points in Osceola County.

Tom Keen was declared the Democratic primary winner for House District 35. Keen combined to amass 2,419 votes in both counties, clearing challengers Rishi Bagga and Marucci Guzman.

With their victories, Booth and Keen will face-off in the House District 35 general special election Jan. 16, 2024. The seat is currently vacated after former Rep. Fred Hawkins left to become president of South Florida State College.

During the 2022 midterm elections, Hawkins defeated Bagga with just over 55% of the vote.