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State Rep. Michele Rayner is set to serve a second term in the Legislature after winning the Democratic Primary for House District 62.
Rayner beat former Rep. Wengay Newton for the nomination, collecting about 53% of the vote to Newton’s 35%. A third candidate, Jesse Philippe, earned about 11% of the vote.
Rayner, a civil rights lawyer, succeeded Newton for the South St. Petersburg district in 2020.
Rayner will likely take the seat since the lone Republican candidate, Jeremy Brown, is in jail on charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection. The district is deep-blue, with 72% support for Joe Biden in 2020.
– Kelly Hayes, Florida Politics