ORLANDO, Fla. – After Democrats flipped the seat in a January special election, Democrat Tom Keen looks to keep the Florida House District 35 seat from Republican opponent Erika Booth.

The January special election was needed after Fred Hawkins, the Republican state representative for House District 35, left his seat earlier last year to become president of South Florida State College.

Keen won the Democratic primary for Florida House District 35 and Booth won the Republican primary for the seat back in November.

The seat encompasses parts of east Orange and east Osceola counties.

We asked both candidates several questions that were based on issues our viewers said would inform their votes this November. Their answers are below.

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Meet the candidates

Tom Keen — Website

Tom Keen, a Democrat, 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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• What expertise will you be able to bring to the Florida House if elected?

After being elected in a special election in January, I joined the legislature during the second session and was able to co-sponsor two separate bills that were enacted and ultimately brought back nearly $8 million in appropriations to District 35.

Tom Keen

• What do you see as the three biggest priorities for your district and how would you help resolve them for your constituents if elected?

1. Property Insurance - Unfortunately, Republican leadership spent no time discussing the insurance crisis here in Florida during the legislative session. I am focused on holding insurance companies accountable and encouraging competition.

2. Women’s reproductive freedom - I fought for our rights for over 20 years in the Navy. Now I am fighting to restore rights and ensure that women have access to abortion care, including standing up to extremists who are working to ban access to IVF and abortion for women after they have been victims of rape, incest, or if their lives are in danger.

3. Public education - I believe our children deserve funded and safe schools. Instead of focusing on culture wars and limiting our kids’ ability to learn, I’m committed to funding our schools, keeping books on shelves, and making sure our children feel safe in the classroom.

Tom Keen

• Our viewers say these are the top concerns they have at the state level. Tell us how you would vote on bills related to these three issues:
  • Reining in insurance costs (health, property and auto)

We need to hold insurance companies accountable. I will increase oversight to ensure that they pay claims after natural disasters strike our community.

Tom Keen

• Abortion

I hope to enact legislation that matches the will of the people by providing protections to women for their health and safety while making sure healthcare is accessible and affordable.

Tom Keen

• Affordable housing

Stop the raiding of the Sadowski fund while enabling local officials to respond to the housing crisis through policy.

Tom Keen

• We hear from viewers often that tourist development tax dollars should be tapped to address local community needs. Would you support a change in state law to allow tourist tax dollars to be used for issues such as, but not limited to, roads and critical infrastructure, law enforcement and emergency services, public transit or affordable housing?

Yes, our communities have many needs around infrastructure, housing, and many more. Tourism is a massive economic engine for our area, the tourist tax can help repair and grow our communities in need.

Tom Keen

Erika Booth — Website

Erika Booth, a Republican, 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.

• What expertise will you be able to bring to the Florida House if elected?

As a two time teacher of the year in Osceola County, wife and mother of 3, I think my expertise lies in education and common-sense issues like living within our means, which is very useful during this time of unprecedented inflation.

Erika Booth

• What do you see as the three biggest priorities for your district and how would you help resolve them for your constituents if elected?

We face an affordability crisis which encompasses everything from the cost of groceries and gasoline to housing and to insurance. Affordability is the biggest priority and we can deal with that by using the government to give families relief via taxes, fees and reducing the cost of government.

Erika Booth

• Our viewers say these are the top concerns they have at the state level. Tell us how you would vote on bills related to these three issues:
  • Reining in insurance costs (health, property and auto)

This problem was caused by both parties, Republicans and Democrats. First we must bring insurance company CEO’s to Tallahassee and have them testify under oath as to why there has not yet been rate relief. Second we must form a statewide investigative unit to find corruption, fraud and profiteering and charge individuals involved.

Erika Booth

• Abortion

I am in favor of a compromise position. Florida’s abortion ban is too restrictive, but my opponent’s position of abortions up until the time of birth and elimination of a parent’s right to consent before a child’s medical procedure are equally as concerning. We must find common ground where we can protect a parent’s right to consent to a medical procedure of their child and not allow abortions in the third trimester. I want to end the use of women’s health issues as a political ping pong ball for election purposes and actually solve the problem.

Erika Booth

• Affordable Housing

First time home buyers need help and I will seek to find state funding for qualified individuals to help get them low cost loans, grants or other assistance as home ownership is the first step to getting a family on solid financial footing.

Erika Booth

• We hear from viewers often that tourist development tax dollars should be tapped to address local community needs. Would you support a change in state law to allow tourist tax dollars to be used for issues such as, but not limited to, roads and critical infrastructure, law enforcement and emergency services, public transit or affordable housing?

Yes, as tourists use roads and infrastructure some of those funds should be directed to those projects- but we also need a large level of accountability.

Erika Booth