State Attorney Brian Haas gets third term without facing opponent as qualifying ends

Gary White, Lakeland Ledger
Updated ·4 min read
Brian Haas, state attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit, which includes Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties, has gained a third term without facing an election opponent. The qualifying deadline for the office was Friday.
Brian Haas, state attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit, which includes Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties, has gained a third term without facing an election opponent. The qualifying deadline for the office was Friday.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Brian Haas, state attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit, has gained a third term without facing an opponent.

Friday was the deadline for qualifying in certain elections, including those for state attorney. No one filed to challenge Haas, who first gained election in 2016 as the preferred successor to longtime State Attorney Jerry Hill.

Haas, a Republican, faced no opponent that year and won a second term in 2020, again without facing a challenger. Haas had reported raising about $186,000 in campaign donations. Donors for this election cycle included Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and other members of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeland Regional Health CEO Danielle Drummond, Southeastern University President Kent Ingle and many local lawyers.

Two candidates qualify for public defender

The 10th Judicial Circuit, based in Bartow, handles criminal and civil cases for Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties.

Blair Allen, left, and Christopher Desrochers have filed to run for the office of public defender. Current Public Defender Rex Dimmig is not running for re-election.
Blair Allen, left, and Christopher Desrochers have filed to run for the office of public defender. Current Public Defender Rex Dimmig is not running for re-election.

Two candidates, both Republicans, have qualified in the race to succeed Rex Dimmig as public defender for the 10th Judicial Circuit: Blair Allen and Christopher Desrochers. Allen is an assistant public defender, and Desrochers is a lawyer based in Winter Haven.

One circuit judge faces opposition

Qualifying for judicial races ended Friday.

Only one incumbent judge in the 10th Judicial Circuit, Circuit Judge Catherine Combee, will face an opponent. Christopher Abary qualified to challenge her in the Group 27 election.

In Polk County court, judges Stacie L. Kaylor, Robert E. Griffin and Robert Grode II qualified for new terms without opponents.

The deadline to qualify for other races, including the Polk County Commission and the Polk County School Board, is June 14.

All of Polk's U.S. House members have challengers

Friday marked the final day of qualifying for U.S. House candidates. Florida’s Democratic Party celebrated its success in getting candidates on the ballot in all 28 races.

All four incumbents in the districts that include parts of Polk County are seeking re-election: Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee (District 9), Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Clermont (11), Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Brandon (15) and Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Lakeland (18).

In District 9, four people vie for Darren Soto's seat

In District 9, which covers a small section of eastern Polk County, three Republicans qualified for the right to challenge Soto, a four-term representative: Jose Castillo of Davenport, Thomas Chalifoux of Orlando and John Quinones of Kissimmee.

A non-party candidate, Marcus Carter of Kissimmee, also qualified, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Daniel Webster faces two other Republicans in District 11

Two Republicans qualified to face Webster in the primary election for District 11 — former state Rep. Anthony Sabatini of Howey-in-the-Hills and John McCloy of Mount Dora. One Democrat, Barbie Harden Hall of Mount Dora, also qualified.

District 11 covers northern Polk County, Sumter County and parts of Lake and Orange counties.

Laurel Lee faces two Republicans and a Democrat in District 15

In District 15, Lee will face two opponents in the Republican primary — James Judge of Pasco County and Jennifer Barbosa of Plant City. Former President Donald Trump issued a social media post in March calling for “any great MAGA Republicans” to challenge Lee, a first-term incumbent.

Trump apparently targeted Lee because she was the only member of Florida’s congressional delegation to endorse Gov. Ron DeSantis during his presidential campaign. Lee served as Florida’s Secretary of State in the DeSantis administration.

Lee expressed support for Trump after DeSantis left the presidential race in late January.

One Democrat, Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp, also qualified in District 15. Former Lake Wales City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald filed to run as a Democrat in September but is not listed as qualified candidate.

In a news release, Fitzgerald said that she withdrew from the race because of a recent head injury.

District 15 encompasses most of Lakeland west of South Florida Avenue and U.S. 98, along with parts of Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Two Democrats challenge Scott Franklin in District 18

In District 18, two Democrats qualified in hopes of challenging Franklin — Peter Braunston of Davenport and Andrea Doria Kale of North Port. Franklin, a former Lakeland city commissioner, is a two-term incumbent.

The district covers much of Polk County, including the eastern half of Lakeland, and U.S. 98 and ranges south to Collier County, containing six inland counties.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: State Attorney Brian Haas gets third term without facing opponent