Some good news from Florida [View all]
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Democrats-make-gains-in-Fla-Legislature-4018340.php
Democrats make gains in Fla. Legislature
BRENT KALLESTAD, Associated Press
Updated 11:44 p.m., Wednesday, November 7, 2012
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Still badly outnumbered in Florida's Legislature, more Democrats will soon be at the Capitol following perhaps their
most encouraging Election Day in some two decades. Republican leaders may be looking over their shoulders after
losing a supermajority in the Legislature and possibly their pick to be House speaker in two years. State Rep. Chris Dorworth trailed Democratic challenger Mike Clelland by 37 votes on Wednesday, a day before Seminole County officials count provisional ballots. The result would then be sent to state officials, who determine whether a recount is needed. Dorworth's departure would create a scramble among Republicans to replace him as speaker-designate
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"It's a great day to be a Democrat in Florida," state party chairman Rod Smith said Wednesday. "This is the best night we've had in Florida ... since I've been casting votes much less since I've been in politics." Smith, who served in the Senate from 2001 to 2006, said Tuesday was the
first time in 30 years that Democrats had a net gain in the state Senate, where they added two seats in addition to possibly five in the House.
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Republicans, however, still enjoy a 26-14 advantage in the Senate and will have a 76-44 edge in the House should Clelland survive the recount. By breaking the Republicans' supermajority in both chambers, Democrats improved their position to negotiate with their legislative colleagues.
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Zimmerman, Dentel and Danish ousted GOP Reps. Peter Nehr, Scott Plakon and Shawn Harrison, respectively. Rodriguez, meanwhile, knocked off former state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla, a Republican who was trying to get back to Talllahassee in the House seat vacated by the resignation of former Rep. Richard Steinberg, a Democrat, after admitting he'd sent suggestive emails to a female federal prosecutor.
But Democrats couldn't capitalize on another vacancy that also resulted from a sex scandal.