DeSantis endorses Ana Maria Rodriguez in contested SD39 race
Governor Ron DeSantis Monday endorsed Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez in the race to replace termed-out Republican Sen. Anitere Flores in South Florida’s Senate District 39, on pace to be one of the most contested and expensive state races in 2020.
Rodríguez, who represents Florida House District 105, is the sole Republican candidate vying for the seat, and will face off against one of two Democrats who have qualified to compete in the August 18 primary.
The district includes southern Miami-Dade County and all of Monroe County.
“Ana Maria is a proven champion for Florida’s children and families, and she understands that protecting Florida’s water is important to our state’s overall economic success,” DeSantis said of Rodríguez in a statement.
The race for SD39 is potentially the most competitive district Florida Republicans must invest in to defend their 23 seats in the 40-seat Senate chamber. While state Democrats are mostly backing Rep. Javier Fernandez, currently a member of the Florida House, to help gain parity in Tallahassee, he must first survive a primary against candidate Daniel Horton-Diaz, the former district chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Rodriguez said she is “honored” to be endorsed by the governor and that the endorsement “bodes very well” for her race, even though the district is one that Democrats have identified as one that could be flipped from Republican to Democrat.
She noted that DeSantis performed well on the ballot in Monroe in 2018 when he ran for governor.
“The governor has made great strides in improving the quality of life for South Floridians since he was elected, and I look forward to continuing to partner with him in that effort once I am elected to the Florida Senate,” she told the Miami Herald.
Herald reporter Samantha J. Gross contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 12:35 PM.
