Florida's forty-fourth state house district is currently represented by Democratic Representative Geraldine Thompson.

As of the 2010 census, a total of 157,485 civilians reside within Florida's forty-fourth state house district. Florida state representatives represent an average of 156,678 residents, as of the 2010 Census. After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 133,186 residents.

About the office

Members of the Florida House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits. Members of the House may serve no more than four consecutive terms. Florida legislators assume office two weeks following their election.

Qualifications

To run for the Florida House of Representatives, candidates must be 21 years old, have lived in Florida for two years and live in the district they intend to serve.

Salaries

Term limits

The Florida legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Florida Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Florida representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the house, a special election must be called to fill the vacant seat. The Governor is responsible for calling the election and must consult with the Secretary of State to set the election dates and nominating deadlines. The person elected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Florida House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 18, 2020. The filing deadline is June 12, 2020.

2018

2017

A special election for the position of Florida House of Representatives District 44 was called for October 10, 2017. There was a special primary election on August 15, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the election was June 20, 2017.

Candidates who successfully filed to run in this election include Democrat Paul Chandler and Republicans Usha Jain, John Newstreet, Bobby Olszewski, and Bruno Portigliatti. Chandler was the only Democrat to file on June 20, so there was no Democratic primary held. Jain, Newstreet, Olszewski, and Portigliatti faced off in the Republican primary on August 15.

Olszewski won the Republican primary. He competed in the special election on October 10.

On August 22, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Chandler had withdrawn from the race due to a lawsuit that alleged he was not a resident of Florida and ineligible to run.

On August 25, the Sentinel reported that Chandler was reconsidering withdrawing from the race as he never officially submitted his withdrawal papers.

On September 8, 2017, Chandler officially withdrew from the race. Although he was replaced by Democrat Eddy Dominguez, his name still appeared on the ballot.

On October 10, Olszewski won the special election, according to unofficial results.

The seat became vacant following the resignation of Republican incumbent Eric Eisnaugle. He was appointed to the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal by Governor Rick Scott (R) on May 8, 2017. He officially resigned his seat on May 18, 2017. Eisnaugle represented the seat from 2014 to 2017. In the 2016 presidential election, District 44 voted for Hillary Clinton (D) over Donald Trump (R) by a 6.2 point margin.

Paul Chandler withdrawal

On August 8, Windermere, Florida, resident Charles Hart filed a lawsuit alleging that Paul Chandler voted in Missouri in the 2016 elections and thus was not a legal resident of Florida and ineligible to run. According to Article III of the Florida Constitution, “an elector and resident of the district from which elected and shall have resided in the state for a period of two years prior to the election.”

Chandler released the following statement: “I have been a resident of Orange County for over two years. My 2012 Florida state ID remains valid. This is an attempt to bring Trump-style reality TV politics to Orange County and distract from the real issues that my campaign is working to address, like health care, education, and jobs.”

Florida has closed primaries, meaning only voters registered with a party can vote in them. According to the website Florida Politics, if one party does not put up a candidate in an election, then the primary for the party that does have candidates would have to be open to all voters, possibly invalidating the results of the closed Republican primary held August 15. Early voting began in the closed Republican primary on August 5. According to Orange County Democratic Chair Wes Hodge, state law would allow Democrats to appoint a new candidate in the event that Chandler’s candidacy was invalidated.

The Newstreet, Olszewski, and Portigliatti campaigns all released statements regarding the Chandler lawsuit’s possible effect on the Republican primary. Newstreet spokesman Alan Byrd said, “More than 3,500 Republicans have voted in this election to date. They have participated in their American right to vote. To have a court invalidate their choice simply cannot happen and we plan to fight to protect their votes.” Olszewski said, “We’re focused on our positive, conservative message and reaching voters for great results on Tuesday,” Portigliatti said that the lawsuit sounded like a “desperate attempt to affect the outcome,” and that he and his staff were weighing a response. The Jain campaign did not release a statement.

On August 22, Chandler announced that he was planning to withdraw from the race. According to Wes Hodge, “There’s an air of uncertainty hanging over this lawsuit. We were confident that Paul was a resident but after speaking with several attorneys we felt it was up to a judge’s interpretation.”

On August 25, Chandler announced that he had not yet withdrawn from the race and was still making a decision on how to proceed. He said that the original announcement about his withdrawal had been made under pressure from Democratic Party leaders and added, “I have the right to officially end my campaign when I end it.” Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said he would delay sending out mail-in ballots for members of the military until it became clearer who would represent the Democratic Party in the October 10 special election. The ballots were originally scheduled to be sent out on August 26 after the results of the August 15 Republican primary were officially certified.

On August 28, the first absentee ballots were mailed out and they included Chandler's name.

On September 8, 2017, Chandler again withdrew from the race. On September 20, Fox 35 reported that Chandler would be replaced by Democrat Eddy Dominguez. Chandler's name still appeared on the ballot, but Orange County Supervisor of Elections Cowles planned to send notices letting voters know that a vote for Chandler was a vote for Dominguez.

Florida House of Representatives, District 44, Special Election, 2017

Florida House of Representatives, District 44 Republican Primary, 2017

2016

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.

Incumbent Eric Eisnaugle ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 44 general election.

Incumbent Eric Eisnaugle ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 44 Republican primary.

2014

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. Incumbent Eric Eisnaugle defeated Stephen Facella in the Republican primary and defeated Matthew Falconer (I) in the general election.

Florida House of Representatives, District 44 Republican Primary, 2014

2014

Eric Eisnaugle (R) defeated Shaun Raja (D) in the special election, which took place on April 8. Raja was unopposed in the March 11 Democratic primary, while Eisnaugle defeated Stephen Vincent Facella in the March 11 Republican primary.

Eisnaugle, a state representative from 2008-2012, chose not to run for re-election in 2012 when redistricting drew him against fellow Rep. Stephen Precourt (R). With Precourt term-limited in 2014, Eisnaugle planned to run for the seat again. Several Republicans, including Speaker Steve Crisafulli (R), backed Eisnaugle. "Eric’s track record of leadership will allow him to serve his Orange County constituents well. It is obvious that his message of job growth and fiscal responsibility resonated with the voters of his district." Crisafulli said.

The seat was vacant following Stephen Precourt's (R) appointment as the head of the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority.

A special election for the position of Florida House of Representatives District 44 was called for April 8, with a primary if necessary on March 11. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 23.

Florida House of Representatives, District 44, Special Election, 2014

2012

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 14, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 8, 2012. Incumbent Stephen Precourt (R) was unopposed in both the general election and Republican primary.

Campaign contributions

From 2012 to 2016, candidates for Florida House of Representatives District 44 raised a total of $680,860. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $113,477 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Florida House of Representatives District 44