Paula Stark wins re-election, keeping HD 47 red despite advantage among Democratic voters

Against gloomy forecasts and shortfalls in voter registration, Republican Paula Stark won District 47 for the second time.

With 92.9% of Osceola County’s precincts and all of Orange County’s precincts, Stark led the Democratic challenger. Maria Revelles gaining more than 51% of the votes.

Just before the polls closed, Stark posted an upbeat message about her Central Florida race.

“As Election Day arrives, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who took the time to vote early and is voting today,” she said. “Your voice is the cornerstone of our district, and your participation shapes the future of our community.”

Revelles, a union leader, was hoping to avenge Democrats’ surprise loss in the deep-blue district in 2022.

“As I watched my district turn red while I battled cancer, I promised myself that if I won this battle, I would work to restore fair representation to this district,” Revelles said before the election. “Today, I am proud to run for HD 47 with the support of a community coalition to take back a Florida where we can all live with dignity and hope for a better future.”

The Democrats’ advantage in voter registration signaled trouble for Stark. And that was before spending scandals involving both Stark’s official spending and political committee activities made headlines.

Stark won by 878 votes in 2022. Anthony Nievesavowed democratic socialist. But Republicans outperformed statewide in the red wave cycle under Gov. Ron DeSantis received 19 percentage points landslide re-election. Meanwhile, Democrats invested little in the Osceola-Orange seat, and the Florida Republican Party invested only after the primary, when it made a $10,000 contribution to Stark and little after that.

This year, both parties have their sights set on the seat. Book Closing Reports show there are nearly 40,000 registered Democrats in the district, compared with just over 29,000 Republicans and nearly 40,000 other voters.

But Stark did have an advantage in fundraising. The incumbent has raised more than $71,000 into her candidate account this cycle and had nearly $29,000 in cash on hand as of Oct. 31. By comparison, Revelles raised just over $60,000 and ended the most recent reporting period with less than $8,000 in the bank. Friends of Maria Revelles The committee raised nearly $101,000 to support the Democrat and ended the period with nearly $8,000 in the final days of the race.

However, it is unclear what was in Stark’s book. Paula’s friends committee account. As of Oct. 18, the account had collected nearly $97,000 and had more than $5,000 in cash, but month-end reports were not filed until Election Day. Specifically, on October 14, the committee received a letter from the elections department requesting that missing information be addressed in its reports. The audit letter came after a final notice of a $500 fine, the committee’s latest financial penalty.

This is not the first time the committee has faced problems. As of July, this committee had spent more than it had received, with the exception of a loan from a business associated with Stark’s boyfriend. Joel Davischairman of the committee. The committee at that time was fined more than $11,000 and reported excessive fines for a “pro-entertainment candidate.”

Besides, Orlando Sentinel This summer, news broke that Stark’s Office campaign spending account had been suspended due to a similar failure to submit timely reports.

Stark’s campaign and the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee have attacked Revelles’ personal finances. The Democrat responded to the attacks.

“In response to my campaign, Stark resorted to spreading lies and creating stereotypical images that demean and harm our Latino community,” Revelles said. “These attacks are intended to divert attention from her financial mismanagement and disregard for the values ​​of the residents of HD 47. Stark’s relentless pursuit of personal interests has prevented her from faithfully serving our community.”

Stark emphasized her work for the county. In her first term, she sponsored bills that became laws, including the Court Regulatory Act in 2023, the Mobile Parking Tenant Act and the Corrections Contractors Act in 2024.

“Thank you for the opportunity to serve these past two years,” Stark said in a campaign video.

“It has been an honor to be the voice of our community. During my tenure, I passed four bills and co-sponsored dozens of others, most from community leaders, and brought home more than $7 million in project appropriations. I look forward to continuing initiatives to create mobile homes, services for veterans, mental health services, and gainful employment, protecting home rule, protecting disability communities, and continuing efforts to address the property insurance problem.”

Revelles said he will bring a much different vision to the office than Stark, who she said has helped fuel the culture wars and disastrous cuts to important efforts.

“Florida has always represented opportunity, a place where people of all backgrounds could thrive in safety, dignity and respect. Today, those ideals are threatened by a program that undermines the well-being of working families, divides communities, and slows our progress toward a fair, sustainable future for all,” Revelles said.

“As a labor leader, climate activist and community organizer, I am fighting to restore a vision for a Florida where dignity, safety and opportunity are a reality for all. I want a state where women have full autonomy over their bodies and health care decisions; where working families can afford to live without constant fear and economic insecurity and with access to health care; and where schools serve as the cornerstone of society, free from political agendas and supporting both teachers and students.”

Notably, the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee proposed much more direct party support for Revelles than the Republicans gave to Stark. The Florida House Republican Campaign Committee did run negative ads against Revelles and independently secured the incumbent’s endorsement.

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