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2 Orange County Black leaders may face off in Florida Senate race. Why some say it’s a win-win

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2 Orange County Black leaders may face off in Florida Senate race. Why some say it’s a win-win


ORLANDO, Fla. – With two months to go before the deadline to qualify to run for office, a Florida State Senate seat in Orange County is shaping up to be a battle between two heavyweights in the Black community.

Randolph Bracy, a former state senator who left to run for Congress in 2022, is challenging incumbent State Sen. Geraldine Thompson for Florida Senate District 15, a seat that represents large parts of western and center Orange County.

Bracy told News 6 that his decision to primary a fellow Democrat, longtime lawmaker and family friend was not personal.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with Geraldine Thompson,” Bracy said.

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[ Here’s everything you need to know to vote in Florida in 2024]

Thompson told News 6 she is “actively campaigning” for reelection.

“I have remained a steady and stable advocate for the people of Senate District 15. I look forward to continuing to work for my constituents and the state of Florida,” Thompson said.

Both Bracy and Thompson have represented the area off and on for years. Both have accomplishments to tout in the legislature and deep roots in the community.

According to community leaders, the winner must prove they can put that expertise to better use.

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Community needs

Florida Senate District 15 represents a large swath of Orange County, from the northwest corner with Apopka down south to the central part of the county, including parts of Winter Garden, Ocoee, the Pine Hills neighborhood, Holden Heights and Tangelo Park.

Map of Florida Senate District 15. (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)

Jae Fortune, a community activist and founder of the Pine Hills Culture and Economic Partnership, said the prospect of two experienced lawmakers campaigning against each other is a win-win for his part of the district.

“It’s reassuring to have two options that know the issues,” Fortune said. “There’s not really going to be a learning curve. Honestly, I’m actually really interested to see what issues they don’t agree on, because they’re pretty familiar with each other. And I hope that this provides an opportunity for a robust conversation about the issues, more than a personality thing.”

For Fortune, transportation and pedestrian safety are top of mind in the Pine Hills area. He worries for his 90-year-old grandmother, and other area residents trying to cross Silver Star Road, a major thoroughfare that runs through the district.

Since the state manages Silver Star Road, Fortune said state leaders need to push for improvements.

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“Six lanes of traffic, 24/7, we lose neighbors, we lose family members, we lose friends to traffic incidents on a weekly basis,” Fortune said. “It’s not as sexy as the whole crime conversation, but it’s a crisis – it’s literally a health crisis.”

Fortune also wants to see more talk about an issue that’s a crisis across the state – affordable housing, and how it is driving homelessness. He would like to see more tourism dollars and benefits from economic development go to the issues affecting the community.

“What does economic development look like? What does economic prosperity mean if certain communities are being left behind,” Fortune said. “I don’t expect dollars from I-Drive or I don’t necessarily expect dollars from Disney for expansions or what have you to get here, but at what point do we talk about ‘OK, how do we make this a little bit more equitable?’ Like, how do we make sure that at least Pine Hills is part of the conversation, and that’s what this seat represents.”

Family, community ties

State data shows more than 271,000 of the district’s 408,000 voting-age residents are registered to vote.

Florida Senate District 15 is also slightly majority-Black. According to Florida Senate data, 37.48% of voting-age residents are Black, compared to 30.96% white residents, 25.35% Hispanic residents and 8.1% residents of other races.

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Bracy and Thompson both have strong ties to the local Black community.

Bracy, who runs several businesses, is the son of pastor Dr. Randolph Bracy Jr., who founded New Covenant Baptist Church in Orlando.

Thompson, a former educator, founded the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture, housed in a historic hotel in Parramore that Thompson helped save from destruction.

Issues facing the Black community are also hallmarks of both lawmakers’ time in office. Among their successes, Bracy and Thompson worked together in 2021 on legislation that eventually created the Randolph Bracy Ocoee Scholarship program, which funded scholarships for the direct descendants of the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots.

Bracy had some success during his time in the Senate with bills on fire safety and juvenile justice.

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“I was probably one of the more successful Democrats across the state to get things done,” Bracy said.

Thompson helped get the “Project Addiction” specialty plate through the legislature this year.

“To address the stigma faced by people who are recovering from addiction and to provide counseling services and heighten awareness regarding the potential of overdoses which have increased in Florida,” Thompson said.

She also successfully shepherded a bill to reform attraction safety after a teenager died on a ride in Orlando in 2022. Thompson worked on that with State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, a Democrat from Orlando, and Bracy’s sister.

Thompson has other ties to the Bracy family – she said she roomed with Bracy’s mother, Dr. LaVon Wright Bracy, at the University of Miami, who was also the maid of honor at Thompson’s wedding.

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“I have loved the Bracy family for more than 50 years,” Thompson said.

In a statement to News 6, Thompson pointed out that Bracy left his Florida Senate seat in 2022 to run for U.S. House District 10. He lost in the Democratic primary to now-Rep. Maxwell Frost. Thompson said that and the death of Bracy’s father a year later were major losses.

“I am praying for him and hope that he regains his footing,” Thompson said.

Bracy seemed to acknowledge to News 6 that losing the U.S. House primary was tough.

“It was honestly a blessing in disguise, after being in politics for 16 years, I was able to step back and focus on myself and my business,” Bracy said.

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Bracy said he now wants to lift the community up “in a different way,” which he planned to explain in the future.

“We’re at a time where we need to require more of our elected officials, not just here in Tallahassee, but back here at home. We need more resources to help people achieve their goals,” Bracy said.

[RESULTS 2024: Want to run for office in Florida? Here’s how to do it | Florida is a closed primary state. Why that matters in 2024]

‘These are not radical issues’

Despite any successes Bracy may have in the Florida Legislature, records show he also has dozens of failed bills over his time in the Florida House and Senate, as does Thompson, including bills regarding criminal justice, education, elections and more.

In truth, many state lawmakers have failed bills in their records – only about 10% of bills filed in an annual Florida Legislative Session make it to the governor’s desk. The session only lasts 60 days.

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Another problem that may be impeding success – they’re both Democrats in a Legislature run by Republicans. That means some bills may not jibe with the majority’s priority that session, or there are ideological conflicts.

District 15 is heavily Democratic – 127,727 registered Democrats to nearly 76,000 no-party-affiliate voters and nearly 61,000 Republicans, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Republican candidates rarely step up to run in the district. Thompson won a universal primary against Democrat Kamia Brown in 2022 with 53% of the vote. Bracy beat a Republican challenger, Joshua Adams, in 2020 with 65% of the vote. Bracy faced two write-in candidates in the 2016 general election.

Fortune said being in the minority is a problem, but that can’t be an excuse for Democratic representatives anymore, because they have been out of power for more than two decades.

“I don’t care that you’re not in charge,” Fortune said. “I don’t care that you don’t have the governor’s mansion. I don’t care that you guys don’t have a majority. These are not radical issues. I’m saying these are not issues that you can’t make popular to a majority of Floridians, especially Central Florida’s, like our issues are pretty straightforward. Just be on the right side of it.”

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So far, no one else has filed to run for the seat except for the two Democrats. If that remains the case through the end of the qualifying period on June 14, all voters in the district would be able to decide between Bracy and Thompson in a universal primary on Aug. 20, regardless of political party.

Fortune said he would like to see more voices jump in the race, including local Republicans like Nate Robertson, who ran for Ocoee commission in March, because he wants to see a larger conversation about the issues. However, a return to the Florida Senate for Bracy or Thompson would be great for the district as well.

“These are two names that, especially when it comes to representing a minority party in Tallahassee, that people whose names carry weight or people’s names carry cachet, or at least they have a network of people they can call at any given point, and bring their influence to bear, I think that’s a good situation for us to be in,” Fortune said.

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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds

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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds


The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.

“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.

What to expect

  • 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
  • 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
  • 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
  • Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.

For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.

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Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.

Other Friday highlights included:

  • 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
  • 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
  • 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
  • 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.



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Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies

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Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies


A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.

See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say

Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.

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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”



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Son of 2nd patient who died after seeing Florida surgeon describes family’s heartbreak: ‘It’s just not right’

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Son of 2nd patient who died after seeing Florida surgeon describes family’s heartbreak: ‘It’s just not right’


Weyman Dorsett knew something went wrong with his mom’s surgery as he watched an ICU doctor review her medical charts.

“I’ll never forget and it’ll never leave my mind, the look on that doctor’s face as he was reading through the files,” Dorsett, 53, said. “… He was just shaking his head, like: ‘what in the living hell is going on?’”

His mother, 70-year-old Dorothy Dorsett, was in recovery after a surgeon removed a tumor from her digestive tract. But she was hardly eating and had an abnormally fast heartbeat, according to a lawsuit Dorsett later filed. She was moved to the ICU nearly a week after the surgery.

“She just started really spiraling, pain,” Dorsett said. “She was not my mom.”

She died days later, on Aug. 4, 2023.

About a year later, another patient, William Bryan, 70, died after the same surgeon operated on him.

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The surgeon, Thomas Shaknovsky was arrested this week, accused of accidentally removing Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen, prosecutors said. Shaknovsky operated on both Dorothy Dorsett and Bryan at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach.

Shaknovsky and his lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment. However, he has denied wrongdoing in Dorothy Dorsett’s case in court filings of his own, arguing that some of the allegations were inaccurate and that descriptions of Dorsett’s care were incomplete. The lawsuit remains ongoing.

Do you have a story to share? Email reporter matthew.lavietes@nbcuni.com or reach us at our tip line.

The hospital did not immediately return a request for comment. Earlier this week, Macdonald Walker, a spokesperson for Ascension Sacred Heart, said in a statement that Shaknovsky “was never a Sacred Heart Emerald Coast employee and has not practiced at any of our facilities since August 2024.”

Weyman Dorsett filed a lawsuit against Shaknovsky and Ascension Sacred Heart last year, accusing the doctor and hospital of negligence. He spoke out for the first time since his mother died in an interview with NBC News on Thursday.

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“I’ve got two boys, a wife, now a grandbaby, and you know, I’m trying to be there for them, but, man, I’ve struggled mentally in dealing with it,” he said. “It’s just not right.”

Harrison Dorsett, Dorothy Dorsett, Mr. Weyman Dorsett Sr (now deceased), and Weyman Dorsett Jr.
Harrison Dorsett, Dorothy Dorsett, Mr. Weyman Dorsett Sr (now deceased), and Weyman Dorsett Jr.Dorsett family

On July 24, 2023, Dorothy Dorsett was admitted to the hospital after suffering abdominal pain, Weyman Dorsett, said. At the time, he said his mom was “in great health.”

“She was going non-stop. She lived on her own, drove everywhere, she went all over,” he said. “Prior to the surgery, she flew to my oldest son’s wedding in Bentonville, Arkansas, with a broken leg from a car wreck.”

At the hospital, his mom was diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding and acute blood loss anemia, according to the civil complaint.

The next day, the Dorsett family met Shaknovsky, whom Weyman Dorsett described as “odd.” He said the doctor prayed by his mom’s bedside before the surgery.

“It was way over the top,” Weyman Dorsett said. “It was very insincere to me.”

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He said his mother thought Shaknovsky was “very weird.”

That day, Shaknovsky performed a colonoscopy and found a tumor in Dorothy Dorsett’s digestive tract, which he removed on July 27, 2023, according to the complaint.

During the surgery following the colonoscopy, Shaknovsky did not perform a routine test, which would have ensured there were no leaks in a newly joined intestine, according to the complaint.

Shaknovsky told the family that the surgery “went great,” Weyman Dorsett said, but his mother’s condition immediately started to deteriorate.

He said that his mom was moved to the ICU on Aug. 2, 2023.

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Weyman Dorsett left that night, but his mother called him to come back to the hospital at midnight, saying she was going to die.

“My mom looked at me and just said, ‘It is what it is. I’ve lived a good life,’” he said. “And I had to sit there and watch her die.”

On Aug. 3, 2023, a doctor on call, Dr. Chun W. Chen, documented Dorothy Dorsett’s condition, according to the complaint, noting that he saw “more air than I would expect postsurgical” and mentioning concern “for bowel perforation specifically around the chain sutures in the pelvis.”

Chen added in the report that pockets of air had formed around Dorothy’s pelvis, according to the complaint.

“Although this may be postsurgical, cannot exclude bowel perforation,” he wrote.

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Chen said in a brief phone call that he didn’t remember the patient and declined to comment further.

That evening, Shaknovsky documented in a daily progress note the air and fluid collection in Dorothy’s pelvis, according to the complaint.

Shaknovsky did not advise surgical intervention due to Dorothy’s declining organ function and risks associated with anesthesia, the complaint says.

Dorothy Dorsett was pronounced dead at 5:29 a.m. on August 4, 2023, according to the complaint. She passed away surrounded by family, the complaint says.

“Until you go through it yourself, and to be there with my mom and watch her suffer, and to be there when she takes her last breath has been devastating,” Weyman Dorsett said. “I suffer every day. It’s a haunting memory that I can’t erase out of my mind.”

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Harrison Dorsett, left, Coleman Dorsett, back, and Dorothy Dorsett.
Harrison Dorsett, left, Coleman Dorsett, back, and Dorothy Dorsett.Dorsett family

Allegations of another botched surgery

On Aug. 21, 2024, prosecutors allege that Shaknovsky accidentally removed William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during what was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy.

Shaknovsky, who had been licensed to practice medicine in several states, had his Florida license suspended about a month after Bryan’s death. Later that year, he voluntarily surrendered his license to practice in Alabama. New York then suspended his license in 2025.

Bryan’s widow, Beverly Bryan, filed a civil lawsuit against Shaknovsky in 2025, accusing the surgeon of causing her husband’s death.

After the suit was filed, Weyman Dorsett learned that the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration completed an investigation into his mom’s death in September 2024, after Bryan’s botched surgery and more than a year after Dorothy’s death.

The investigation found that Shaknovsky and other hospital physicians “failed to appropriately use diagnostic testing and delayed in ordering imaging to timely treat sepsis” in Dorothy Dorsett’s case, according to a copy of the report.

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration did not return a request for comment.

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Shaknovsky was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of second-degree manslaughter in the death of Bryan, according to officials.

“It’s bittersweet,” Weyman Dorsett said. “You know, nothing’s going to bring back Mr. Bryan, or my mom and all the other people that are still out there that have been butchered and suffered.”

Dorothy Dorsett grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where she and her husband, Weyman Dorsett II, her high school sweetheart, raised their two children: Weyman Dorsett III and his sister.

“She just was everything you would think the American dream mom would be,” he said. “She led by example, best cook in the world. She was our rock.”

She and her husband moved back and forth from Alabama to Miramar Beach, Florida, about 30 miles west of Panama City. She moved to Miramar Beach permanently following the death of Weyman Dorsett II in 2021.

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Weyman Dorsett III described his mother’s passing as a “big piece missing.”



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