# Florida Democrat Tom Keen flips House seat in special election
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-democrat-tom-keen-flips-house-seat-in-special-election/996201
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [January 17, 2024, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-democrat-tom-keen-flips-house-seat-in-special-election/996201 "2024-01-17T02:38:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-democrat-tom-keen-flips-house-seat-in-special-election/996201/1 "2024-01-17T02:38:22Z")
I didn’t see a reference to this anywhere. Apparently the meaningless Iowa caucuses drowned out an incredibly meaningful race in Central Florida.
> **[Tom Keen flips HD 35 from red to blue in critical Special Election](https://floridapolitics.com/archives/653319-tom-keen-flips-hd-35-from-red-to-blue-in-critical-special-election/)**
>
> Democrats invested heavily in the race, hoping to prove Florida remains a battleground.
Keen had lost in the Democratic primary in 2022 but won against two rivals to run this year and then won over a former member of the Osceola County School Board. The seat had been easily won by Fred Hawkins in 2022, who resigned last June to be a college president.
Every seat is critical in this House. I don’t think Keen’s victory indicates that Democrats can take Florida in the November elections as the partisan article does yet it’s evidence that blue sections of the state exist.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-democrat-tom-keen-flips-house-seat-in-special-election/996201/2 "2024-01-17T02:39:51Z")
With Trump at the head of their ticket, I look forward to more Republican losses. I think that’s what happened with the last couple of elections.
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### Author:  [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-democrat-tom-keen-flips-house-seat-in-special-election/996201/3 "2024-01-17T02:56:33Z")
Just to clarify, this is a _state_ House seat in a state legislature where, IIRC, the Republicans still have a supermajority, even with the flip. As a bellwether, it’s good news, but it’s not a super-consequential election in itself.
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### Author:  [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-democrat-tom-keen-flips-house-seat-in-special-election/996201/4 "2024-01-17T03:01:58Z")
Indeed, even after this election, Florida Republicans have an 84-36 seat advantage in the Florida House. I really wouldn’t take a special election for a state house seat to be any kind of indicator.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-democrat-tom-keen-flips-house-seat-in-special-election/996201/5 "2024-01-17T03:05:34Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> With Trump at the head of their ticket, I look forward to more Republican losses. I think that’s what happened with the last couple of elections.
I think the Dobbs decision is another big factor. It showed a lot of Republican women that they are considered to be second-class citizens by the men who run the party.
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2024, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-democrat-tom-keen-flips-house-seat-in-special-election/996201/6 "2024-01-17T04:43:18Z")
My mistake. I caught a reference to it as a crucial House seat and jumped to a conclusion.
Still nice to read about, but not crucial.