Attorney Michele Rayner wins Florida State House District 70 election
Voters chose Michele Rayner to fill the District 70 seat in the Florida House of Representatives.
Rayner earned 7,598 votes, or 31 percent, beating out three other Democratic candidates running to represent the district, which includes parts of Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
Because each candidate in the District 70 race is a member of the same party, the primary election was open to all registered voters within the district. Incumbent Rep. Wengay Newton, D-St. Petersburg, is stepping down from the Florida Legislature to run for a Pinellas County Commission seat.
Rayner is a civil rights attorney who is also involved in a Bradenton woman’s lawsuit against the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office alleging excessive force. She also has experience as a legislative aide in Tallahassee. In a previous interview with the Bradenton Herald, Rayner said she would be ready to go on day one.
“I already have relationships within the House of Representatives, not only with the incoming speaker but with Democratic leadership. I’m able to understand and craft the law,” she said. “There won’t be a learning curve for me.”
Keisha Bell, who won 27 percent of the vote, is also an attorney who said she was committed to expanding access to healthcare and improving public schools. Bell previously ran an unsuccessful campaign against Newton in 2018, losing that race by about 3,000 votes. This time around, Bell said she wanted to inspire more participation in all kinds of civic engagement, not just voting.
“I see my platform as not just a Tallahassee thing. Obviously, you do your job and move legislation, but I also see the platform as an educational tool for people to increase participation,” Bell said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald.
Michelle Grimsley, who earned 23 percent of the vote, has worked as a legislative aide to Newton for two years. A Bradenton resident, Grimsley earned about half of the support from Manatee County voters.
Mark Oliver, who earned 19 percent of the vote, works as a personal fitness trainer.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 8:59 PM.
