Republicans have begun to run scared. In election after election, Democrats have pulled out wins. This latest election could forebode a Democratic landslide in November, and here is why.
A number of states have held special elections for a variety of reasons. Some politicians committed crimes, and others found their extra-marital affairs in the news. Other reasons for special elections include a person retiring due to an illness or a death of a politician while in office.
State Senator Jeff Clemmens scrambled out of politics when the media caught wind of his affair with a lobbyist.
Democratic Lori Berman smashed the voting booths in an outstanding win over the Republican, Tami Donnally in Florida’s Senate District 31. She took a whopping 75 percent of the vote compared to her competitor’s 25 percent. All 281 precincts’ vote had been counted.
Berman took 22,860 for 74.8 percent, and Donnally took 7,696 votes for 25.2 percent in the district where Trump’s Mar-a-Lago is located according to The Palm Beach Post:
The new senator called her triumph a “win for the people:”
‘This is a win for the people of Palm Beach County on the issues that matter to us. It’s a mandate that the issues we see — education, gun control, health care, the environment — matter to people of Palm Beach County.’
The new senator was executive director of Legacy Church Ministries at Greenacres and vice chair of the Republican Party for Palm Beach County. Surprisingly, she was disappointed with the number of votes, because “more Republicans didn’t come:”
‘I’m disappointed more Republicans didn’t come out to vote. And I don’t know why…but Palm Beach County is so blue and it feels as if it’ll never happen for the Republicans.’
Berman, 59, will be senator until November 2020, which is the remainder of Clemens’ term. She can still run for two more elections after that.
Berman said she was glad the state passed gun control after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland where a man with a weapon of war killed 17 people:
‘One of the bills that I sponsored was included in the Parkland legislation and it’s a law that allows law enforcement officers to go to the court to petition to have a gun removed from someone who is a danger to themselves or others. Allowing a family member to do something similar would be the next step.’
The newest senator ran twice for the state House in her district and lost in each election. She said:
‘I never say that I lost because for me, it was a winning experience all the way around. It made me appreciate elected officials so much more and what candidates have to go through.’
Donnelly said her work with the church made her:
‘A very well rounded (sic) person because of (my time) with the school. I understand people. I’ve had to negotiate compromises with families and I’ve worked in a religious community. I totally understand the legislative process and I’m ready to jump right in. I think I’m immediately prepared to be a great legislator without having any learning curves.’
Featured Image via Getty Images/John W. Adkisson.
