Republican Wins Special Election As Dems Fall Short After Massive Efforts

Republican Hilary Holley has defeated Democrat Edwin Pérez in a Special Election for Florida House District 51, denying Democrats a pickup they had hoped to secure in a Midterm election year. With nearly all precincts reporting, Holley won with about 55% of the vote, holding the seat for Republicans.

Holley will replace term-limited Republican Rep. Josie Tomkow in the Polk County-based district. The race had drawn attention as Democrats looked to capitalize on broader economic concerns and Midterm dynamics, Florida Politics reported.

“Representative-Elect Hilary Holley in House District 51 will be a tremendous addition to the Florida House of Representatives, given her unmatched experience in the agricultural community,” House Speaker-Designate Sam Garrison said. “Voters have made the right decision in electing the far superior candidate,” he said.

District 51 includes much of Polk County, including Polk City, Davenport, Haines City, Lake Alfred and Auburndale. Despite a slightly narrower margin than Tomkow’s nearly 57% win in 2024, Republicans maintained a clear advantage in the district.

Voter registration numbers also favored the GOP, with roughly 34% of voters registered as Republicans compared to about 31% as Democrats. Nearly one-third of voters in the district are not affiliated with a political party.

Holley also held a significant fundraising edge throughout the race. She raised more than $122,000, along with nearly $134,000 in in-kind contributions, largely from Republican Party organizations.

Pérez raised just over $13,000 and added a $2,000 loan, with less than $1,800 in in-kind support. The financial gap underscored the uphill battle Democrats faced in attempting to flip the seat.

Holley secured endorsements from several prominent Florida Republicans, including former state Sen. Denise Grimsley, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and former Rep. Neil Combee. She also received backing from Tomkow, whom she will replace.

Holley currently serves as Executive Director of the Florida FFA Foundation, overseeing programs that support more than 65,000 student members across the state. She previously worked as a legislative aide and held roles in agricultural education and public service.

Pérez, a community advocate from Haines City, centered his campaign on affordability issues, rising insurance costs and a projected funding shortfall in the Polk County school district. Officials have warned the current $2.5 million gap could grow significantly in the coming years.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is criticizing a Republican-led election bill, accusing GOP lawmakers of pushing what he described as “voter suppression” measures. His comments came ahead of an expected vote on the SAVE America Act in the House, Fox News reported.

“Republicans have adopted voter suppression as an electoral strategy. That’s what the so-called SAVE Act is all about,” Jeffries said during a press conference. He argued the latest version of the bill goes further than a previous iteration passed in 2025.

The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship for voter registration nationwide. It would also establish a federal voter ID requirement for casting ballots in national elections.

The legislation, led by Rep. Chip Roy and Sen. Mike Lee, includes provisions aimed at improving the verification of voter eligibility. Supporters argue the bill is necessary to secure elections and ensure only eligible citizens vote.

Jeffries also raised concerns about data-sharing provisions in the bill. “This version, as I understand it, will actually give the Department of Homeland Security the power to get voting records from states across the country,” Jeffries said.

He questioned why such authority would be granted, suggesting it could lead to misuse of voter data. Republicans have rejected those claims and maintain the bill is focused on election integrity.

The House is expected to take up the measure for a vote in the coming days.

Full Story : The Truth About the Axe in the Funeral Home

The funeral home was too beautiful for the terror hiding inside it.

Cream-colored walls glowed beneath soft lights. White flowers surrounded the glossy white coffin like a cloud. Gold handles shone along its sides, and a large floral arrangement rested neatly on the lid, as if beauty could make death easier to accept.

Around the coffin, mourners stood in black formal clothes, silent and stiff, their eyes lowered in practiced grief.

At the front of the room stood the widow.

Margaret Vale wore a black funeral dress, pearl earrings, and a mourning veil that softened her sharp face but could not hide the tension in her mouth. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, but her fingers kept tightening against each other.

Behind her stood a male mourner in a black suit, white shirt, and black tie. His face was pale, his posture uncertain, as if he was waiting for something to go wrong.

Then the doors burst open.

A woman in an orange work uniform stepped into the room.

Her name was Claire Mason.

Her messy light brown hair was tied back. Her pale face looked exhausted, as if she had not slept in days. A white apron hung over her uniform, stained faintly from work. In both hands, she gripped a wood-handled axe.

Gasps moved through the guests.

Margaret turned sharply beneath her veil.

“No,” she whispered.

Claire walked straight toward the coffin.

A few mourners stepped back. Someone dropped a program onto the polished floor. The male mourner behind Margaret moved forward, but he stopped when he saw Claire’s face.

She was not confused.

She was not hysterical.

She looked shattered, but certain.

Margaret’s voice rose in panic. “Stop her!”

Claire lifted the axe above her head.

“Open it!”

The blade came down hard onto the glossy white coffin lid.

The impact cracked through the room like thunder.

The white flower arrangement shook violently. A golden handle rattled. A jagged line split across the polished surface of the lid. Several guests cried out and stumbled backward.

Claire stood over the coffin, breathing hard, both hands still locked around the axe handle.

Margaret clutched her chest.

The male mourner stared in disbelief.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Claire slowly looked up at him.

Her eyes were wet, but they did not break.

“What they buried,” she said, “isn’t the truth.”