DeSantis Stalls Special Election as Miami Democrat Nears $200K in House Bid

A Miami-Dade legislative seat has sat empty for more than five months, and the Democrat angling to fill it just posted her strongest fundraising quarter yet — even as Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to schedule the election that would let anyone actually win it.

Gloria Romero Roses, a real estate professional and community activist, raised more than $134,000 between Jan. 1 and March 31 in her bid for House District 113, more than doubling her previous quarter's haul, according to public campaign finance records. The first-quarter total pushes her war chest to nearly $196,000, though $120,000 of that sum consists of personal loans to her own campaign — money that is refundable if left unspent.

She entered April with $165,000 cash on hand after spending close to $28,000 on political consulting, voter data, staff salaries, design and printing, and digital infrastructure. Her 184 outside donors averaged $241 per contribution, with roughly 95% of those dollars originating from South Florida.

The donor list carries institutional weight. Former U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, former state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson all contributed. Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman and House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell have both endorsed Romero Roses, along with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert and a roster of former state legislators and local mayors.

"This campaign is powered by people who are ready for real leadership focused on solving problems, not political theater," Romero Roses said in a statement.

Romero Roses faces Democratic primary competition from Justin Mendoza Routt, president of Miami-Dade Young Democrats. On the Republican side, three candidates are competing: former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro and businessmen Tony Diaz and Frank Lago.

HD 113 covers Key Biscayne, parts of Coral Gables and Miami, Virginia Key and PortMiami — one of Miami-Dade's two dominant economic engines alongside Miami International Airport. The seat opened in mid-November when Republican Vicki Lopez resigned to join the Miami-Dade Commission, departing before the 2026 Legislative Session began and leaving her former constituents without House representation for the duration of it.

DeSantis has not announced a special election date. Voter registration data from L2 shows the district now holds slightly more registered Republicans than Democrats, though unaffiliated voters outnumber both parties. The Miami-Dade Democratic Party characterizes the district as D+4.

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