Elections are a healthy democracy’s most vibrant sign of life. At their best, they bring new ideas into the conversation and new faces onto the stage of public service. Even an election like this year’s — soured by barrages of campaign mailers full of false narratives, abandoned by an usually large number of no-show voters — is reason to celebrate.
At the same time, there is always a price to pay: The cost of saying goodbye to people who have served their constituents to the utmost of their abilities.
This year, nothing exemplifies the magnitude of that more than the shocking loss of state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, one of the area’s most prominent and well-liked lawmakers, who lost his seat through voter apathy among college-aged voters who attended the University of Central Florida — a trend seen across the state, as the total number of votes cast in his race was among the lowest in the state for races that had candidates from each party. (Young voters, we need to have a talk: Among the other severely low-turnout districts were those surrounding the University of Florida and Florida State University).
The Orlando Democrat’s voice will be sorely missed. His representation of Florida’s LGBTQ+ community as the Legislature’s first openly gay Latino lawmaker was what Smith first became known for, but communities across Central Florida came to appreciate his fierce advocacy for local priorities and his dedication to helping people navigate the shoals of state bureaucracy. We doubt his absence from public office will spell an end to his activism, but it has sent a message to politicians across Florida that ignoring the voices of younger voters carries less of a penalty than they might have suspected.
Another signature loss was not as sharp a surprise. U.S. Rep. Val Demings, one of the state’s most prominent lawmakers, knew she faced long odds when she decided to challenge U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. That doesn’t reduce the sting of her absence from Florida’s congressional delegation, where she rose to national prominence as a sharp, passionate leader who spoke up on behalf of the most vulnerable, including women in danger of losing reproductive rights and victims of violent crime.
At the state level, state Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil and state Sen. Randolph Bracy faced much the same plight. Both were Democrats who took on tough challenges, Bracy as part of a 10-candidate primary pileup for a Congressional seat that includes much of Demings’ old district, and Goff-Marcil, who challenged an entrenched Republican opponent (Sen. Jason Brodeur).
Goff-Marcil’s race saw a flood of viciously misleading campaign ads, which significantly distorted her record of moderate, thoughtful support for environmental protection that focused on sensible solutions to fight pollution and boost the Sunshine State’s use of solar power.
Bracy — who became one of the Legislature’s leading voices against racism and economic injustice — entered the District 10 race as the presumptive frontrunner but was eclipsed by the attention lavished on 25-year-old Maxwell Alejandro Frost, the first member of Gen Z to win a congressional seat.
He wasn’t the only local politician swept away in a primary. State Rep. Travaris “Tray” McCurdy, who in the recent session emerged as one of the Legislature’s most passionate voices against cynical plays on racial politics, suffered a surprise loss in a crowded field in a district that was redrawn to eliminate his main base of support in his hometown of Ocoee. Redistricting also shortened the political career of State Rep. Kamia Brown, an Orlando Democrat who was earning respect as a knowledgeable, promising prospect for future leadership.
State Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, one of the few Florida Republican incumbents who were handed defeats, also saw her Volusia County-based district redrawn to emphasize Deltona — a possible reflection of GOP dissatisfaction with her quiet but principled reluctance to join in the vicious culture wars that marred recent sessions.
Intraparty dissent clearly played a role in the loss of state Rep. Daisy Morales, whose combative style undermined her effectiveness among fellow Democrats.
Finally, there were the losses known before the elections.
Chief among them, we lament the loss of U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, an Orlando Democrat who made her legislative mark fighting hard for veterans but also made an impression as a lawmaker with a rare ability to command respect from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle. Murphy announced her decision, early in this year’s cycle, to step away from politics.
We will also miss the voices of those silenced by term limits, including state Rep. Rene “Coach P.” Plasencia, R-Orlando, who earned a reputation as a thoughtful moderate at a time when those were in short supply; and Rep. Scott Plakon, a Longwood Republican and staunch conservative whose characteristic friendliness and willingness to listen to anyone often disarmed his critics, even as it boosted his ability to advocate for his constituents.
We can’t, unfortunately, say the same of state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, a combative Republican whose outrageous stunts (and frequent litigation) severely undermined his popularity even among members of his own party. The voters of his Lake County-based district probably breathed a sigh of relief when Sabatini announced his plans to run for Congress. But we can say this: He was never boring.
We don’t want to end this tribute, however, on such a sour note. So we’ll take a detour north to acknowledge the end, at least for now, of the political career of Volusia County Councilman Ben Johnson. Johnson’s popularity among his constituents manifested most where it counted: He never lost an election, even as he transitioned from a popular sheriff to a respected, direct voice on the County Council. It is a voice that, like many others on this list, will be sorely missed.
The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com
