Special Issue: The Battle for FL State Senate District 3

More expensive that many congressional races

Election day is right around the corner and I have just wrapped up a deep-dive into what is hands down Florida’s most expensive State Senate Race this cycle. The battle for Senate District 3, a Biden +3 district covering the Big Bend of Florida, has seen at least $15,000,000 spent!

You can read all the details here!

The reason this seat is seeing so much money spent is because it is the lone competitive district that is up for election this year. Most of the other swing seats will be contested in 2026. As a result, both parties have poured all their reserves into the big bend of Florida - blanketing the region with advertising.

District 3 was once a reliably Democratic district. It was once held by former Congressman Al Lawson.

However, in 2022, the district finally flipped to the Republicans. Cory Simon defeated Democratic State Senator Loranne Ausley by 6% in a midterm that was bad for Democrats up and down the state.

Simon, a former FSU football star that was the head of Volunteer Florida, was a major GOP recruit for the Republicans that year.

Now, fighting for a full four-year term, Simon is being challenged by Daryl Parks, best known as a partner in the Parks and Crump Law Firm. Parks has been a longtime Civil Rights Attorney and is close friends with nationally-known Ben Crump.

This race has become expensive and nasty. Voters in the district have been flooded nonstop with mail, TV, and texting. Both sides have worked to frame their opponents and now everyone is focused on getting their voters out. The race has easily becoming the biggest event in the district, overshadowing President, Senate, Congress, and so on.

The race has also become disgustingly racist, as Republicans attack Parks’ civil rights work by trying to frame him riot instigator. Mailers like what you see below have covered mailboxes and similar TV ads have been broadcast. Simon has not been immune from attack, being hit hard on his flip-flopping on abortion and opposition to Amendment 4. As Democrats see it, Simon is just a Republican puppet.

There is so much more to discuss. I delve into the backstory to this district and the current campaign dynamics in this detailed breakdown. Give it all a read!

The Full Senate 3 Campaign Write-Up!

Keep an eye out for State House ratings to come out later today!