David Weldon: “Yesterday in Florida we had a special election in Florida State House District 58. The incumbent Democrat, Elvin…”

“Yesterday in Florida we had a special election in Florida State House District 58. The incumbent Democrat, Elvin Martinez, had retired to take a judgeship. I rise today to congratulate Republican Deborah Tamargo, the new State Representative from District 58. This now moves the Republican majority in the State House of Florida to 65 versus 55. As most people know, 1996 was the year for the first time since Reconstruction that the Republican Party had taken the State House in Florida, and now the State House majority is 65. My congratulations go out to Deborah and to all the Republicans who got involved in that race. I would like to read a quote from Tom Slade where he said, 'Perhaps a key moment came in the endorsement of Martinez,' the Democrat, 'by one of the local editorial boards.' The endorsement favored the Democrat in the race because of her willingness to raise taxes. Deborah Tamargo won on Republican principles of less taxes and less government.”