Republican incumbent Chuck Brannan won Florida House District 10 seat for the fourth election in a row over newcomer candidate Bobby Brady. He earned 74% of the vote.
With his victory, Brannan will enter his final term as a state representative. He said he will continue to prioritize serving District 10 and bring state dollars into the rural counties in his district.
“We’ve been really successful in the past bringing those state dollars to the counties, so we’re going to work harder,” Brannan said.
“When you’re on the ballot for two years, you’re running all the time,” he said. “That makes you stay on your toes and makes you really attentive to your constituents.”
He was impressed by the voter turnout, crediting the presidential race. Brannan said he was looking forward to what the Florida Speaker of the House has in store for representatives in the coming days and continuing to serve his district the best way he can.
Brannan, the race’s incumbent, served as the District 10 representative for six years. He grew up in Macclenny, Florida, and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at UF. He served with the U.S. Marshal Service and was a chief investigator at the Baker County Sheriff's Office for 16 years.
Throughout his 2024 campaign, Brannan collected 71 contributions totaling $70,440. His largest contribution was $20,000, which came from his own campaign. Twenty-seven political action committees contributed to Brannan’s campaign. PACs like Alliance for Honest Government, Duke Energy Corporation and the Coalition for Safe Communities contributed $1,000.
Brannan is “pro-life, pro-gun and anti-tax,” according to his campaign website. He aims to protect local businesses, farmers and natural resources across the state. He states he will always be conservative but has emphasized that he wants to “keep the doors of government open.”
He has shown support for bills such as HB 591, which designates April as “Hot Car Death Prevention Month” to bring awareness on how to prevent hot car deaths. He also sponsored bills like HB 17, which called for a three-day waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm, and HB 1223, which proposed that no person younger than 18 can purchase a firearm in Florida.
Another bill he sponsored this year includes HB 1349, calling for public schools to teach the history of communism that would include discussions on “atrocities committed” by communist governments, how the ideology conflicts with democracy and the increasing threat of communism in the U.S.
Brannan’s campaign operated rather independently. Alachua GOP reached out to Brannan’s campaign this summer, but his campaign said that it did not require any additional support.
He will continue to represent Union, Bradford, Columbia and Baker counties and the northern half of Alachua County. He’s held the position since 2018 when he replaced former Republican representative Elizabeth Porter, who was first elected in 2012.
Brady, Brannan’s opponent, moved to Florida 30 years ago and is a shiitake mushroom farmer with no previous political experience. He said he has a strong foundation of work that he wanted to apply to his role if he became a representative.
Brady was advocating for affordable housing, the passage of Amendment 4 and protecting Florida natural resources like aquifers, springs and lakes. He also called for rolling back insurance rates by 30%.
He said he refused to accept donations from lobbyists and collected 19 contributions totaling $3,371.50.
He spent the day campaigning before the polls closed at 7 p.m. The “conservative democrat,” as Brady calls himself, wants to see change in his district. He owns a gun but wishes for better firearm regulation. He is pro-life but also “pro-it’s none of his business” when it comes to a woman’s right to an abortion.
Brady knew the odds of the election but didn’t regret his campaign. “No one should run unopposed,” Brady said. “Everyone should have a choice, and I was happy to give people a choice.”
He expressed interest in running for mayor of Live Oak, where he lives. His campaign provided a framework for getting to know constituents, especially in a “deep red part of a purple state,” he said.
Brannan will continue in his previous seat and remain in office as of midnight on the day of the general election.
Contact Delia Rose Sauer at drosesauer@alligator.org. Follow her on X @_delia_rose_.
Delia Rose Sauer is a junior journalism student and the Fall 2024 University General Assignment Reporter. This is her second semester on the University Desk. In her free time, she's drawing on Procreate, crocheting or exploring music genres.
