Former Fla. Secretary of State Lee joins crowded GOP field in U.S. House-15 race

Laurel Lee, Florida’s Secretary of State until last week, has joined the competitive Republican field in the U.S. House District 15 race.

Lee announced her candidacy Tuesday, a day after state Sen. Kelli Stargel of Lakeland disclosed that she had entered the race.

Other Republican candidates in the election include former U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross of Lakeland; Florida Rep. Jackie Toledo of Tampa; former Navy Commander Demetries Grimes, who lists a Winter Haven campaign address; Jay Collins of Tampa; and Kevin “Mac” McGovern of Celebration.

Also: State Sen. Kelli Stargel enters crowded U.S. House-15 race

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Congressional election observers predict a Republican candidate is strongly favored to win the new District 15 seat.

The Cook Political Report, which tracks U.S. House and U.S. Senate races across the country, rates District 15 as “Likely Republican.” It got the same ranking from Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan political analysis newsletter run by the University of Virginia Center for Politics. POLITICO Forecast 2022 reports the district “leans Republican.”

Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Lakeland, currently serves in District 15 but is now running in the redrawn District 18, which includes eastern Lakeland and southern Polk County. That makes District 15 a rare open seat among Florida’s 28 congressional districts.

The GOP currently holds 16 of the state’s 27 seats in Congress, with Florida this year adding a district because of population gains revealed in the latest census.

The revised District 15 covers northwest Polk County south of Interstate 4, including Lakeland west of U.S. 98 and South Florida Ave, along with parts of Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Former Gov. Rick Scott appointed Lee, who holds bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida, in 2013 as a judge in Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit. Gov. Ron DeSantis chose her as Secretary of State in January 2019.

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“I know what is at stake and how important it is that we send more conservatives to Washington,” Lee said in a news release. “Skyrocketing gas prices, government overreach at every turn, a failed commitment to our military and securing our borders, and now, disturbing trends from government thinking they know what is best for our children and families.”

Lee Oversaw 2020 election

As Florida’s Secretary of State, Lee oversaw the 2020 election effort. In the release, she said she had strengthened the state’s elections infrastructure and cybersecurity defenses and she took credit for increases in voter registration and participation.

Before becoming a judge, Lee worked as an assistant public defender and a federal prosecutor. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Lee investigated and litigated False Claims Act cases and prosecuted white-collar crime, violent crime and the sexual exploitation of children, the release said.

Lee is the wife of Tom Lee, a former state senator who represented northwest Polk County from 2016 to 2020.

'Not what I planned to do': Stargel finishes influential career in Florida Legislature

Four Democrats have also filed to run, Eddie Geller of Brandon has a sizeable lead among the Democrats in campaign contributions.

District 15 has a voting-age population of just under 600,000, according to figures from the Florida Legislature. Of that total, 66.2% live in Hillsborough County, 18.5% in Pasco County and 15.2% in Polk County.

The primary election will take place Aug. 23. The deadline for candidates to qualify is June 17.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Former Fla. Secretary of State Laurel Lee enters GOP race for U.S. House-15