Issue #245: The Democratic Primary for Florida Senate District 15 & The Legacy of Geraldine Thompson

Four names, including two siblings, fight for the seat

On Tuesday, most political observes will have their eyes trained in New York City; which is coming to the end of crowded, expensive, and contentious mayoral primary. However, I will be spending the early part of my evening tuned into to an election taking place in western Orange County, Florida: Senate District 15. Democratic voters in this district will decide between four candidates. The primary is tantamount to election, as this district backed Kamala Harris with 60% of the vote.

The district is plurality white, but its Democratic primary is majority Black. The current seat is the latest version of what has been a long history of having a western Orange seat drawn to unite the Black community and give them an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.

Preliminary voting so far shows an electorate that is over 53% Black and around 35% white. It is unlikely election day will radically alter that. I will talk more about turnout so far at the end of this piece. First, lets look at why the special election is happening.

The Legacy of Geraldine Thompson

The seat is holding a special election due the tragic passing of Senator Geraldine Thompson, a beloved institution in the community. Thompson, who was 76, sadly passed away a few months back after complications from knee surgery. The news shocked everyone, as Thompson was widely seen as still full of energy and life. Her death was mourned by lawmakers and voters alike. She was heralded as a leader on civil rights, a fight that stemmed back to the 1970s with her husband, and a constant force against the efforts of DeSantis to remove discussions of slavery and racism from school curriculums.

Thompson was long involved in civic and community affairs, but her electoral career did not get going until the early 2000s. She was elected to the Florida House in 2006 and then the Florida Senate in 2012. Her 2012 Senate victory was a major victory for progressives over a more conservative Democratic candidate in the primary. She made a play for Congress in 2016, losing a Democratic primary to Val Demings. Eager to still serve, she ran for and won a white-majority State House district in 2018; flipping a seat most expected the Republicans to hold. Then in 2022, she returned to the State Senate after winning an expensive Democratic primary for SD15. In almost every race, if not all, Thompson was outspent by opponents, but continued to win.

Thompson was such an inspirational figure that I do want to sit down and delve into her past and elections in more detail down the line. Unfortunately the nonstop chaos and evil of the current administration has made history research time more limited. Trust me, however, when I say she will not easily be forgotten.

The passing of Senator Thompson has led to a four-way contest for her seat. The race has become a very expensive and high-profile affair. It has also been shaped by the issue of Geraldine Thompson’s legacy.

The Candidates

Between the death of Senator Thompson and the end of qualifying, four Democrats and one Republican filed to run for the seat. The democrats in question are

• LaVon Bracy Davis - Current State House member

• Coretta Anthony-Smith - first time candidate and attorney

• Alan Grayson - former Congressman

• Randolph Bracy III - former State House member and State Senator

Three of these candidates are known quantities in the district. Only Coretta Anthony-Smith is a first time candidate, but she has also put in almost $200,000 of her own money to raise her profile. Alan Grayson, a well-known former Congressman who has now become a perennial candidate, has also thrown in $200,000 of his own money into the race.

A good deal of attention has also come on the fact that former Senator Randolph Bracy III and Representative LaVon Bracy Davis are brother and sister. This has led to plenty of stories about a sibling rivalry for the district. However, its even more complicated than that. The mother of both siblings is Dr. LaVon Bracy, who was a longtime friend of Geraldine Thompson. In fact, Dr. Lavon Bracy, who has spent decades in civics work, was Thompson’s former college roommate and maid of honor. The Bracy and Thompson family have decades of history together. Randolph and LaVon’s recently-passed father, Randolph Bracy JR, was a former local NAACP head. Both families have longtime links personally and in the fight for Black civil rights and political influence.

However, while both Randolph Bracy and LaVon Bracy Davis have longtime ties to the Thompson family, it is Bracy Davis who has received the support of the Thompson family in the special election. This is not surprising for those who remember what happened in 2024. That year, former Senator Bracy, who had left the legislature to run for Congress in 2022, tried to primary challenge Senator Thompson after she won the seat he gave up. In that fight, Bracy attacked Thompson as an ineffective lawmaker and even tried to get her kicked off the ballot. The move was so egregious that it has fractured Bracy’s relationship with the Thompson family and many in his own family.

While the sibling dynamic has made for plenty of drama, there are several additional dynamics at play in this race. The presence of Grayson, a longtime controversial figure in Florida, and the emergence of a new face in Coretta Anthony-Smith, has made this a very chaotic and expensive primary.

There are so many dynamics going on in this race that I feel its best to first go over each candidate one by one.

LaVon Bracy Davis

State Representative LaVon Bracy Davis is considered the frontrunner to win the primary election on Tuesday. Before entering the state house, Bracy Davis, an attorney by trade, was the Director of Programming at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. In 2022, she was elected to the majority-Black HD40; a seat that includes Ocoee and western Orlando. The district lies entirely within Senate District 15.

Once in the legislature, Bracy Davis has been a reliable democratic and progressive member. When Thompson passed away, Bracy Davis was immediately pegged as a natural successor to the Senator’s legacy. As mentioned before, Bracy Davis has the backing of the Thompson family. Bracy Davis has run on carrying the mantel of Geraldine Thompson, saying that Senator Thompson…

“told me very candidly that when it was time for her to retire, she wanted me to run for her seat. … She had mentored me, and she basically taught me the ropes, and of course I would be honored to continue her work.”

Bracy Davis and Thompson were indeed very close. In 2024, when Randolph Bracy tried to primary Thompson, Bracy Davis endorsed Thompson. While Bracy Davis has consistently offered kind words for her brother, insisting her support for Thompson and her campaign for the open seat is not a personal slight, Randolph Bracy has reacted with much more vitriol toward his own family. Meanwhile, Dr LaVon Bracy, the mother of both siblings, has endorsed her daughter for the seat.

“She has always had an unshakable passion for standing up for the neglected, the marginalized and the powerless. Her track record speaks for itself. And now, she is ready to step into the seat left by my dear friend and former college roommate, Senator Geraldine Thompson.”

Yep mother endorsed daughter over her own son. Trust me, as you will see from my Randolph Bracy section, you really cannot blame her.

Bracy Davis is the clear heir to the Thompson legacy. Her only major issue in the campaign has been fundraising. With the legislative session dragging on an additional 45 days due to a budget deadlock, Bracy Davis was barred from raising any money until just a week ago. In just a few days after the ban on fundraising ended, Bracy Davis raised a solid $60,000. However, for Bracy Davis the big lifeline has been over $210,000 spent by Senate Victory - the campaign committee for Florida Senate Democratic campaigns. The party establishment is solidly behind Bracy Davis in the campaign. This has allowed Bracy Davis to see herself advertised for the race while she otherwise engaged in a ground game for the low-turnout election.

Randolph Bracy

Oh my, where do I even begin with former Senator Randolph Bracy. Once a major player in the Orlando political arena, Bracy has undergone a transformation that has left former allies questioning not only his political moves, but his personal ethics. I guess we should do an abridged review of the former-Senator’s career.

Bracy was initially elected to the State House in 2012, winning the Black-access HD45. In 2016, as Geraldine Thompson left her senate seat to run for Congress, Bracy entered the crowded Democratic primary for the seat. His biggest opponent was former State Senator Gary Siplin, a conservative Democrat not well-liked by progressives. Bracy defeated Siplin 45% to 35%, with other candidates rounding out the rest of the vote.

Bracy’s time in the Senate was standard. While he did side with Republicans on a handful of tax and regulation issues, it was nothing that turned him into a pariah. Then in 2022, he opted to run for Congress, namely the redrawn 10th Congressional district. The newly-drawn district was won by Maxwell Frost, and you can read my account of that election here. Frost won the election namely by winning Hispanic and white progressives, while Bracy was strongest in the Black-majority west that overlapped with his State Senate seat. The race also saw former Congressman Alan Grayson and Corrine Brown come in distant 3rd and 4th.

Once this election ended is when everything seemed to change for Bracy. The broad sentiment is that the loss to the young Frost, who became Congress’ first Gen-Z member, angered and disillusioned Bracy.

In 2024, Bracy opted to primary Geraldine Thompson, who had returned to the State Senate in 2022. This shocked everyone, as Thompson was considered an effective and well-like legislator. The fact Bracy had known Thompson his entire life sparked questions of personal loyalty. The move came as lawmakers openly questioned Bracy as having “changed.” Bracy, who had married recently, seemed to have cut out many old friends and acquaintances.

“I just feel he has to answer that question, what’s in his mind?” said State Sen. Victor Torres, D-Kissimmee, who served with Bracy in the Senate but supports Thompson. “I don’t know what he’s thinking. I don’t know what is motivating Randy to do this.”

An expose from the Orlando Sentinel pointed to a sudden explosion in Bracy’s personal wealth; something Bracy attributed to business clients that he refused to name. Bracy’s financial reports showed an increase in personal wealth from $500,000 to over $4,000,000 just the period from 2022 to 2024.

“I’m a changed person,” Bracy said. “God has blessed me with the best season of my life.”

The new wealth has been matched with a luxury car, a mansion in Lake County, and a summer home in Martha’s vineyard. To be frank, I don’t know a single person who things this change in money is above board. Bracy spent much of the 2024 primary attacking Thompson, claiming she was an ineffective legislator and claiming she didn’t live in the district. His antics grew more deranged when his sister endorsed Geraldine for re-election. While her statement in support of Thompson offered no attacks on her brother, Randolph replied with….

“I love my sister, but … as God began to elevate and bless my life, the more envious and jealous she has become.”

Since no candidate filed for the general election, the 2024 Democratic Primary was open to all voters; including Republicans. Bracy tried to court Republicans to back him, highlighting the handful of times he defected on votes. He had endorsements and backing from several GOP-aligned groups, though little outside money flowed into the race. Thompson would beat Bracy 61% to 39%; with Bracy strongest in Republican areas in the north of the district. The full saga of that primary can be read about here.

When Geraldine Thompson passed away, it was not even 48 hours later when Bracy announced he would run. The announcement came as Bracy was on a trip in Milan, Italy. The former Senator filmed a quick video on Instagram announcing he would run. He made no mention of Thompson’s passing and gave her no praise. The comments on the video were full of admonishment for such a sudden announcement. If you watched the video, you’d think Thompson has opted to resign early for some reason, not that she had tragically died. Bracy has shown no willingness to speak kindly of Thompson during this special election. When asked about Thompson’s legacy, Bracy coldly said…

Since we both have represented this district in the Senate, I think it’s fair to say we both have differing legacies. But I plan to continue passing effective and meaningful legislation that positively impacts all communities within District 15.

Bracy has expressed fury at his sister running for the seat. While Bracy Davis has insisted this is not personal, stating “I love my brother, and I wish him well” - her brother has taken a much harsher tone.

“My sister choosing to run against me dishonors our father’s legacy in every way possible.”

There is way to much for me to unpack here. Bracy acts like he is entitled to the seat and acting like his sister is primarying him. For Bracy, the fact he tried to primary out a longtime family friend and mentor just a year ago is lost on him. Perhaps this helps explain why their mother opted to endorse her daughter instead of her son. I’m sure there is plenty of drama behind the scenes, but as I see it, Randolph Bracy is being an entitled asshole with likely ill-gotten money.

Bracy has not run an especially aggressive campaign. He has only raised $3,000 and loaned another $6,000. Actually, we don’t know what is finances are because he is late on his final finance report. He has been consistently late on other reports as well, racking up fines. Meanwhile, Bracy was in the news just two weeks ago when he no-showed a court case after receiving a subpoena to testify. The trial was a redistricting lawsuit over a Black-access State Senate seat in Tampa. The ACLU, which is suing over racial gerrymandering in the area, called on Bracy to testify at the trial, as he was a Senator at the time and had commented on the issue extensively. Bracy no-showed and eventually the US Marshalls reached out to him. At that point Bracy said he didn’t want to get involved; even though his testimony would help the case against the Florida GOP.

One day, I may need to write a full article on all full saga of Randolph Bracy. The difference between Bracy pre and post 2012 is staggering.

Alan Grayson

Anyone involved in Florida politics knows all about Alan Grayson. The congressman has been so controversial in Florida politics that I wrote a 5-part series on him, which you can see here. I will offer some bits and pieces from that series, but the link has the details.

A congressman off and on from 2008 to 2016, Grayson rocketed to national fame as a left-wing firebrand in Congress. He made national headlines in 2009 when he said that the Republican healthcare plan was to “don’t get sick,” and if you do, “die quickly.” While his hard attacks on the right earned him much love with the Democratic faithful, his over the top antics, like comparing health insurance companies to the Holocaust, or using quotes of his opponent out of context, cost him his re-election. He returned to Congress in 2012 in a safe blue seat drawn in redistricting.

Grayson served in Congress till 2016, where he became a defender of the Assad regime in Syria and Putin’s invasion of Crimea. He ran for US Senate in 2016 and was crushed in the Democratic Primary, getting just 18% statewide. The failure came amid claims of domestic violence by his soon-to-be ex-wife. Once he lost the primary, he refused to endorse Democratic nominee Patrick Murphy for the general.

After 2016, Grayson entered an era of being a perennial candidate. He tried to primary challenge incumbent Democrat Darren Soto for the 9th Congressional district, losing the primary 2-1. Then in 2022 he ran for the 10th Congressional district, coming in 3rd as Maxwell Frost won. Just last year, he ran for and lost the Democratic Primary for Senate District 25; getting 24% of the vote. I wrote about that race just a few weeks back.

Grayson has loaned his campaign $200,000 for this latest bid, similar to the amount he spent in 2024. He comes with a ton of baggage and has absolutely entered the era of being a perennial candidates. He will likely be strongest with the rural white voters on the north end of the district, but his appeal outside of that is limited. He could only win with a narrow plurality in a very divided field.

Coretta Anthony-Smith

While it is her first time running, attorney Coretta Anthony-Smith has made an impact on the race thanks to her financial position. Smith came out the gate by loaning her campaign $175,000 and raising another $60,000; with many checks coming from fellow attorneys.

In such a low-turnout race, that money can go a long way if spent wisely and targeted on super voters. For Smith, this is the only reason she has a shot at a shock upset. However, for Smith, the only real chance is if voters opt to avoid the drama of the rest of the field and go with a new voice. I do think there is a chance Smith rises past Grayson or Randolph. However, she could also falter and stay in 4th place. Self-funding first timers going against well-known names can range from a success to a complete collapse. We have seen people spend 6 figures to get less than 15% of the vote before. That said, Smith has received good press and has focused on issues around homeowners insurance, a major issue in Florida right now.

Who is Favored to Win?

As I stated before, State Rep LaVon Bracy Davis does stand out as the clear frontrunner for the seat. The primary being a low-turnout affair can definitely make it less predictable. As of this writing, 7,000 ballots have been cast in the race; just 5% turnout so far. Now, historically many Black voters cast ballots on election day, so we could see a decent chunk of voters tomorrow. That said, we are looking at a primary with likely between 10% and 15% turnout.

For such a small turnout race, a staggering mount of money has been spent on the contest. Between the candidates and Senate Victory, at least $600,000 has been spent. However, its hard to imagine that money can cut through the fact LaVon Bracy Davis has the support of the Thompson family and has clearly been poised as the person to carry on her legacy. While such "heir” choices do not always win elections when a longtime incumbent retires/dies, Bracy Davis has plenty else working in her favor. She is well liked, has the backing of Senate Democrats, and represents a core part of the district. Also with a low-turnout race, we often get more plugged in voters; those who knew and loved Geraldine Thompson.

We will see how things go tomorrow night. The winner will be a lock to hold the seat in the general election.