Dear friends,
August 23rd is the date for party preference primaries and we want to make the customary plea of asking that you show up to the polls and help us elect strong, constitutional candidates that will carry us forward in to the general election. Be sure to look out for the new districts that were redrawn this year, you may not be voting in the same district number that you were previously. There are many maps floating around out there and various “find your elected officials” links online, but many of them either are not accurate or are not up to date. Always consult with your Supervisor of Elections if you are unsure.
We are thankful not to have drawn a primary challenger this cycle. It is a testament to the trust that you have placed in us, the strong team that we have built together, and our shared love for faith, family, freedom, opportunity and life. We have drawn a democrat challenger in the newly drawn Senate District 13. This district includes now all of Lake County and part of western Orange County. We look forward to the opportunity to contrast our principles of personal accountability, freedom and prosperity, versus the left’s vision of no accountability, big-government tyranny, and deprivation.
With the election season upon us, we are reminded of this sacred responsibility that we have to vote and our duty to safeguard our election system. Confidence in the integrity of our elections is essential to maintaining our form of government and it is critical that we safeguard against abuse and continue to maintain the integrity of our free and fair elections. As Chair of the Ethics and Elections Committee in the Florida Senate these last two years, we are proud of the work that we have done through SB 90 (2021) and SB 524 (2022). We have highlighted each of these bills is previous columns, but if you would like more information about either of these, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
Through SB 524, one of the best things that we did was put in place some authority to help investigate elections abuses. The bill creates an Office of Election Crimes and Security within the Department of State (DOS) to aid the Secretary of State in completion of existing duties relating to election fraud. The Office will, review reports of alleged election law violations or election irregularities; initiate independent inquiries and conduct preliminary investigations; oversee the voter fraud hotline; and employ nonsworn investigators to conduct any investigations. Investigations can be forwarded to law enforcement agencies or prosecutors when/if necessary.
As always, it is an honor to be your Senator and we look forward to continuing to serve you for the next two years in the Florida Senate.
Onward & Upward,
Senator Dennis Baxley
