1-minute read
Republican Hilary Holley will represent Florida House District 51 through November 2026 after winning a special election on March 24. District 51 includes Auburndale, Haines City, Davenport, Lake Alfred, Polk City, Four Corners, and surrounding northern Polk County communities.
Holley won the election with 54.18% or 8,406 votes, according to unofficial results as of March 25. Her opponent, Democrat Edwin Pérez, received 45.82% or 7,109 votes.
Also read our companion article
The HD51 seat will be up for election again in November’s midterms.
Holley replaces Josie Tomkow, who vacated the position in November 2025 to run in a special election for Senate District 14, which she lost to Democrat Brian Nathan.
Campaign finances
Holley’s campaign spent around $196,436.95, including $133,808.20 in in-kind donations of text messaging and staff support, largely provided by the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee.
That means each vote cost Holley around $23.36, almost 10 times that of her opponent.
Pérez’s campaign cost around $20,177.39 or $2.84 per vote. He received $1,770.23 in in-kind donations from the Florida Democratic Party for access to VoteBuilder, digital advertising, and text messaging.
Around 15,500 people voted in the March 24 special election, compared to 90,000 voters in the 2024 general election.
latest news
Lakeland Symphony Orchestra Showcases Broadway Favorites in Final Season Performance
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.