Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections Tappie Villane’s website was updated Fri., Feb. 7 with precinct data from the Jan. 28 primary to replace former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz. Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis won that race by a landslide supermajority margin, dealing a crushing defeat to other GOP candidates, including Joel Rudman of Navarre. Data shows Rudman was unable to win any of the 41 precincts in Santa Rosa County, where he lives and works.
Rudman fared even worse in Escambia County, placing fourth in the field of 10 Republicans, and he only received a total of 302 votes in Walton County. In Okaloosa County, Patronis led Rudman by a nearly 6:1 ratio.
In total, Rudman was only able to garner around 9% of the votes in Florida’s First Congressional district after his short-lived, lackluster performance in Florida’s House of Representatives. Out of 21 sponsored bills filed, he was only able to get four signed into law before quitting the job effective Jan. 1 to run for Congress.
Rudman started off his political career as a local favorite, fighting COVID-19 mask mandates, but he soon alienated many of the predominately Conservative constituents after promoting the COVID-19 vaccine and exhibiting bizarre behavior, including flipping off constituents, working with Democrats to expand Medicaid in Florida, and wearing black fingernail polish on the House floor.
When Rudman quit the Florida House District 3 job for his failed Congressional campaign, he left District 3 voters without representation during the upcoming 2025 legislative sesssion, which starts March 4 and ends May 2, 2025.
Additionally, taxpayers are having to pay for the reported $1.5 million cost of the upcoming June 10 special election to replace him.
Eight Republicans qualified for that special election and will face off in the April 1 primary: Nathan Boyles; Hayden Hudson; Rena McQuaig; Wade Merritt; Shon Owens; Joshua Sik; Cindy Smith; and Jamie Wells.
Boyles and Hudson are considered the front runners, raising more than $20,000 each, per reports to the Florida Division of Elections.
The winner of the Republican primary will advance to face Democrat Dondre Wise in the June 10 special election.
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