A few days after informing Florida elections officials that he is resigning from the House of Representatives to run for the State Senate, the District 116 seat currently held by Jose Felix Diaz will officially be up for a vote on the same day as the new position Diaz is gunning for.
Diaz has decided to run for the vacant District 40 Senate seat left open by Frank Artiles, who resigned in April after he used racial slurs and vulgar terms in front of fellow lawmakers at a private club near the state capitol. State law requires a person to relinquish their current public office in order to be eligible for another.
Governor Scott has set a special election for September 26th to decide who will take over for Diaz in representing District 116, which stretches from Doral down to Kendall between the Turnpike and 87th Avenue. A special primary election will be held on July 25th. The special election for Artiles' former seat in the senate is also to be determined on September 26th.
Former Senator Alex Diaz de la Portilla and attorney Lorenzo Palomares-Starbuck are among the fellow Republicans running against Diaz for the senate. Candidates have until the end of the month to get on the ballot for the District 40 race but a qualification cutoff has not been set for the seat Diaz is vacating.
(Image credit: The Office of Representative Diaz)