ORLANDO, Fla. – Voters in parts of Orange and Osceola counties can go to early voting locations starting Saturday and choose their candidate for Florida House District 35.
Lake Nona businessman Tom Keen will face Osceola County School Board member Erika Booth in the special election for the Florida House seat that encompasses parts of east Orange and east Osceola counties.
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In Orange County, early voting runs from Saturday through Sunday, Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at three locations:
- Supervisor of Elections Office: 119 W Kaley St., Orlando, FL 32806
- Alafaya Branch Library: 12000 E Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32826
- Valencia College - Lake Nona Campus: 12350 Narcoossee Road, Orlando, FL 32832
In Osceola County, early voting runs from Saturday through Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at two locations:
- Supervisor of Elections Office: 2509 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, FL 34744
- Narcoossee Community Center: 5334 Rambling Road, St. Cloud, FL, 34771
The general election day is Tuesday, Jan. 16 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at regular polling precincts.
Keen won the Democratic primary for Florida House District 35 and Booth won the Republican primary for the seat back in November.
They are running to replace Fred Hawkins, the Republican state representative for House District 35, who left his seat earlier last year to become president of South Florida State College.
The election is open to all voters in the district.
To find out if you are a voter in Florida House District 35, Orange County voters can look up their election information HERE. In Osceola County, voters can look up their election information HERE.
Meet the candidates
ERIKA BOOTH: Website | Facebook
Erika Booth is currently a member of the Osceola County School Board. She has a degree in elementary education and has worked in several schools. A native of Kissimmee, she is also married to Ricky Booth, a county commissioner.
Booth is a conservative who is vowing to fight the “woke agenda” as a supporter of the parental rights movement. She is also supportive of crackdowns on illegal immigration. She’s a supporter of Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, according to her website. She’s collected endorsements from Florida’s Realtors and the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association, among other groups.
Tom Keen is a Naval veteran and businessman living in the Lake Nona area. He ran for in the Democratic primary for Florida House District 35 in 2022 but lost to Rishi Bagga.
Keen said he wants to focus on committing more funding for affordable housing, fighting restrictions on books and other free speech, protecting Florida’s environment through smart growth laws and expanding access to abortion.
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