Florida

Nathan Boyles wins Florida House District 3 primary

Published

10 months ago

April 2, 2025

Nathan Boyles wins Florida House District 3 primary

Holt resident and three-term Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles beat Jay Mayor Shon Owens and a field of six other Republicans to secure the GOP nomination for the District 3 seat in the Florida House of Representatives.

Owens finished 949 votes behind to finish second.

The big difference lay in the number of voters each of the front runners were able to pull in from the other’s home county. Boyles secured 1,390 votes more in Okaloosa County than the Jay mayor, unofficial results indicated. Owens beat Boyles in Santa Rosa County by only about 440 votes.

With voter turn out at about 28% in both counties, and with all precincts counted, Boyles had secured 8,712 total votes to 7,763 for Owens.

“I’m proud of the support we received in both Santa Rosa and Okaloosa County. It was a spirited, close race and the good news for the district is that the voters had multiple good choices,” Boyles said.

He said it is important to remind everyone following a sometimes contentious campaign that this election was not about Okaloosa or Santa Rosa counties, but about finding someone suitable to represent District 3 in Tallahassee.

To win the seat outright Boyles must defeat Democratic candidate Dondre Wise in a June 10 general election battle.

“I am mindful of the fact that I will have to ask voters one more time to step out and fill in a ballot with my name,” Boyles said.

Wise, who listed a Pensacola home address at the outset of the campaign and has yet to report any campaign finance activity, will be a decided underdog. Republicans outnumber Democrats by large margins in both Santa Rosa County and North Okaloosa County.

Santa Rosa County has been without a resident member of the Florida Legislature effectively since late November of last year when Dr. Joel Rudman, who lives in Navarre, announced he was resigning his state House seat to run for the congressional seat left vacant by the departure of Matt Gaetz.

The district is composed of all of Santa Rosa County except the southwestern tip, represented by Pensacola resident Alex Andrade, which includes the city of Gulf Breeze, the Pace and Midway communities and Navarre Beach.

District 3 extends enough into North Okaloosa to encompass rural areas north of the county seat of Crestview. The number of registered Republican voters in District 3 in Santa Rosa County outnumber those in Okaloosa County 73,497 to 14,814.

Boyles becomes the first Okaloosa County resident to serve this district since Greg Evers was elected in 2001. Evers, of Baker, served through 2010 in what was at that time District 1.

Hayden Hudson, an assistant state attorney who was Rudman’s choice to follow him into the District 3 seat, was third in the balloting with 2,522 votes. Pace resident Cindy Smith finished fourth with 2,099 votes. Wade Merritt, a Baker resident, pulled enough Okaloosa County votes to finish second behind Boyles in that county’s balloting.

Boyles ran as the darling of the GOP power brokers in Tallahassee and was endorsed by every member of the Northwest Florida legislative delegation. He received significant donations from outside sources during the campaign and was able to tuck $151,000 into his campaign war chest by the Tuesday election.

Owens entered the fray with endorsements from nearly all of Santa Rosa County’s local leadership. Boyles also missed out on an endorsement from outgoing state Rep. Dr. Joel Rudman. Rudman threw his support to Hudson and didn’t hesitate to criticize Boyles as an establishment candidate favored by “old time country club Republicans.”

Owens took the notion of keeping the district seat in the hands of a district resident, as it had been since Evers with first Doug Broxson, then Jayer Williamson and then Rudman. He blamed candidates who didn’t have a real opportunity to win with siphoning off Santa Rosa County votes that could have gone to him.

“There were two or three people who never had a chance to win that did not really see the importance of this as a Santa Rosa County seat, they were just being selfish,” he said.

Owens said he believes Boyles will serve well at the District 3 representative and he will support him.

Boyles, whose company, Adams Sanitation, serves as the garbage service provider for thousands in Santa Rosa County and employs 75 county residents, has said he believes he is better positioned than anyone in the District 3 race to serve as the representative.

“Santa Rosa County’s success is very important to me. Just as important as Okaloosa County is to me,” he said. “I think I’m the only candidate with real connectivity in both counties.”

Boyles said in a recent candidate survey that he intends to work with the local delegation to support and implement President Trump’s America First mandate.

“I will champion legislation that helps make living in Northwest Florida more affordable by tackling key issues like our continuing property insurance crisis,” he said.

“I believe strongly in championing better infrastructure for our communities,” Boyles said. “This includes an improved road network, rural broadband, adequate contaminant free drinking water, stormwater treatment to keep our surface waters healthy and modern sewage treatment and disposal. I have significant experience in prioritizing infrastructure while keeping taxes low.”

The decision by Gov. Ron DeSantis to hold off scheduling this primary until April 1 and a general election until June 10 means that Boyles or Wise won’t get the opportunity to participate in the 2025 legislative session.

“If elected, I will be fully dedicated to the job,” he said when asked about the “red-shirt” aspect of the job he has now been hired to do, Boyles said “the additional time ahead of the 2026 legislative session will give me the opportunity to meet with residents and local officials to learn more about the priorities that they expect me to pursue.”

“Starting mid-way through a term allows the opportunity to learn the process in Tallahassee and build relationships to better serve the citizens of the District,” Boyles said.

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Florida

Florida Democrats seek guardrails on immigration enforcement

Published

6 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Florida Democrats seek guardrails on immigration enforcement

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As cities across the country see growing protests over immigration enforcement, Florida Democrats are pushing bills they say would protect residents and undocumented migrants — and counter Republican proposals to expand enforcement across the state.

“We stand at a crossroads where we need to decide what world we live in,” said Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami.

One measure, Senate Bill 316, known as the Visible Act, would ban the public use of masks, require police officers to identify themselves and create safe zones around schools and houses of worship.

“We are not a dictatorship,” said Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville. “Secret police belong in the history books, not Florida streets.”

Democrats are also spearheading efforts to grant in-state college tuition to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, often called DREAMers. Florida lawmakers ended that benefit in 2025.

“I dream and I dream big.I will always work as hard as I have to make my dreams come true,” said Alexander Vallejos, a DACA recipient and student at the University of Central Florida. “I love my beautiful Sunshine State of Florida, and I’m a Florida kid through and through.”

Republicans argued in-state tuition diverted state funds from legal residents during the 2025 debate.

“I don’t think it’s fair to ask hardworking Floridians who are struggling to make ends meet to spend $45 million subsidizing the education of people who shouldn’t even be here,” said U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, a former state legislator.

Gov. Ron DeSantis defended Florida’s continued cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling it “positive cooperation” that “has certainly made a difference here in Florida.”

Tensions over enforcement have deepened nationally after ICE agents in Minneapolis fatally shot two U.S. citizens, drawing condemnation from lawmakers and activists.

“They feel they can do anything they want — even including executing a United States citizen in broad daylight,” said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando.

The Visible Act must pass three committees before it can reach the full Senate floor for a vote.

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Florida

Florida cold snap prompts AAA warnings for dead car batteries, frozen pipes

Published

18 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Florida cold snap prompts AAA warnings for dead car batteries, frozen pipes

ORLANDO, Fla. – With overnight temperatures expected to drop into the 20s and 30s across parts of Florida, AAA is urging drivers and homeowners to act quickly to safeguard their vehicles and homes.

“Whenever temperatures drop this quickly, the calls start pouring in. Dead batteries become extremely common,” Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group, said in a news release. “At the same time, homeowners face the risk of frozen pipes that can burst and cause thousands of dollars in damage.”

Cold weather can severely reduce a car battery’s ability to hold a charge, especially if the battery is older or weakened, and AAA said it expects a spike in roadside assistance calls for dead batteries during the cold snap.

Jenkins added, “Cold weather is tough on older batteries. If yours gives out, AAA can come to you. Our technicians can test, charge, or even replace your battery on the spot for members who request help.”

AAA recommends having your battery tested if it’s more than three years old, listening for slow engine cranking as a warning sign, and replacing batteries that show signs of weakness.

Frozen or burst pipe prevention

Homeowners should also be aware that freezing temperatures can cause water inside pipes to freeze and expand, potentially rupturing plumbing hidden behind walls or under sinks. Multiple nights of hard freeze conditions increase this risk.

To prevent frozen or burst pipes, AAA advises the following:

Let faucets drip slightly to keep water moving.
Open cabinet doors to allow warm air circulation.
Keep the thermostat set to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Know the location of your main water shutoff valve.

Keeping tabs on tire pressure

Cold weather also lowers tire pressure, often by 1 to 2 PSI for every 10-degree drop in temperature. Underinflated tires can reduce fuel economy, affect handling, and increase the risk of blowouts.

[WATCH: Tire pressure light on? Why cold weather can set it off]

AAA suggests:

Check tire pressure in the morning when tires are cold.
Inflate tires to the manufacturer’s recommended PSI found on the driver’s door jamb.
Don’t rely solely on tire-pressure monitoring systems.
Inspect tires for wear or damage.

“With weather like this, preparation is everything,” Jenkins said. “A few simple steps today can prevent a breakdown on the road or a disaster at home tomorrow.”

AAA recommends members download the AAA mobile app for fast access to roadside help, weather updates, and safety information.

To schedule a vehicle inspection, click here to locate a nearby AAA Approved Auto Repair Facility.

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Florida

Hundreds gather in Pensacola in ‘rejection of ICE’

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

Hundreds gather in Pensacola in ‘rejection of ICE’

A large crowd of several hundred people gathered in downtown Pensacola on Monday afternoon in protest of ICE and its actions in Minnesota.

As the sun set over MLK Plaza, protestors had spilled out of the park and to three of the corners surrounding Palafox and Garden streets. Many holding signs, some chanting, the message was the same—get rid of ICE.

“We’re out here today in rejection of the violence happening in Minnesota between ICE and working class people,” said volunteer Dashawn McKenzie with the Pensacola Liberation Center. “We saw the murder of Alex Pretti and the murder of Renee Good. We’re standing in contrast to that saying we want ICE off our streets and we want the government to stop spending our tax dollars on ICE that is murdering people and deporting our neighbors because we have no issue with our immigrant neighbors.”

Opposition to ICE has grown steadily in recent days after federal immigration agents shot and killed two people in Minneapolis this month, including Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who treated veterans, and Renee Nicole Good, a poet and mother of three.

Republican lawmakers have increasingly called for investigations into the killing of Pretti as Democrats refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security despite the likelihood of a government shutdown.

After a call with Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz on Monday, Trump said he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to lead some operations on the ground.

Pensacola protest calls for an end to ICE video

Video shows Pensacola residents protest in a show of solidarity with Minneapolis

The protest on Monday was one of several planned across Florida this week, and the first of two in Pensacola. Organizers say they plan to hold a second protest on Friday.

During Monday’s event, there was no visible counter-protest other than a couple stray comments from vehicles driving by. That didn’t surprise McKenzie, who said he has seen both sides of the aisle come together in recent days over ICE actions.

“I’ve talked to a million right-wingers and I know people want us to all hate each other like it’s a Facebook comment session war, but in reality most people don’t their government murdering people. Even Second Amendment advocates are standing in defense of Alex Pretti, working class people on the right are like ‘Hey, I may like Trump ,but I don’t like this.’ That’s the reality of what’s happening.”

USA TODAY reporters contributed to this story.

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