Tick-tock, DeSantis — Miami district is waiting for you to call a special election | Opinion
It’s been 28 days since former Republican state Rep. Vicki Lopez was appointed to the Miami-Dade County commission, leaving her seat in the Florida House vacant. Lopez filled the seat former Commissioner Eileen Higgins left to run for — and later become — Miami mayor.
Yet, Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn’t called a special election to replace Lopez. When the legislative session begins on Jan. 13, over 75,000 Floridians in Miami-Dade County will be without representation in the Florida House.
The vacancy is a result of the governor’s inaction — inaction that appears to be a calculation by DeSantis to avoid a Democratic Party victory in District 113. Alas, voters will pay the cost.
The seat has been empty since last month, and DeSantis has yet to produce a timeline or show any signs of urgency. At this time, a special election doesn’t look like it will take place anytime soon. When the Miami Herald asked about the delay, the governor’s office didn’t offer comment and instead shared where updates about special elections will be posted.
It looks like the governor is playing politics, and this isn’t a first for DeSantis.
In September, the governor waited to fill Jay Collins’ Senate seat in Hillsborough County after he was appointed lieutenant governor. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against DeSantis for violating his lawful duties, the Herald reported. He eventually scheduled a general election on March 24, after the end of the legislative session, meaning those voters will also go without representation.
This is a troubling pattern from a governor whose party prides itself on the belief in upholding democratic institutions.
While Florida law doesn’t outline how fast the governor must call a special election, DeSantis has taken longer to schedule special elections compared to his predecessors. An analysis by the ACLU, reported by the Herald, shows previous governors have taken an average of eight days following a vacancy to call a special election.
We understand that some discretion is reasonable, and the governor should have the ability to decided when a special election will take place — it allows for orderly planning and managing the logistics surrounding these elections.
However, discretion isn’t the same as unlimited — or, apparently, intentional— delay.
Leaving Lopez’s seat open undermines representation. As lawmakers in Tallahassee debate key policy issues and oversee the state budget, residents of Lopez’s old district aren’t merely being underrepresented, they’re being excluded from the entire legislative process. No one is speaking up on their behalf.
That’s why special elections must be met with urgency.
It’s hard to overlook the apparent political games DeSantis is playing. Lopez flipped her district in 2022, adding to the GOP’s majority in the state House. With independents leading voter registrations, District 113 is one of the few swing House districts left in South Florida. It covers Key Biscayne, Brickell, Shenandoah and parts of downtown Miami and Little Havana.
Now Democrats see momentum in Miami-Dade as President Trump’s approval rates continue to sag and following the victories of Higgins in Miami and Monica Matteo-Salinas to the Miami Beach Commission. Although they ran in nonpartisan elections, both are registered Democrats.
The GOP may be right to worry. Without Lopez — a moderate Republican and respected lawmaker — Democrats have a shot. Nevertheless, that concern isn’t a legitimate excuse to delay an election. Special elections are unpredictable and favor the party whose voters turnout.
Calling a special election shouldn’t require legal intervention in the form of a lawsuit. Voters are constitutionally entitled to representation. The governor should fulfill his obligation and call the special election — now.
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