Rick Scott endorses Emily Duda Buckley in Seminole House race

Rick Scott’s endorsement of Emily Duda Buckley sharpened the stakes in Seminole County’s open House District 38 race, where voters in Altamonte Springs, Casselberry and Winter Springs are being asked to choose a successor as housing costs, insurance bills and day-to-day expenses keep climbing. The U.S. senator’s support, announced June 14, gave Buckley another prominent Republican ally in a district that is closely divided and likely to draw heavy attention from donors.

Buckley, a Seminole County native and business owner who lives in Oviedo, is running for the Florida House seat being vacated by term-limited Rep. David Smith. Smith, a Winter Springs Republican first elected in 2018, will serve through Nov. 3, 2026 before leaving the district that includes much of southwest Seminole County.

Scott said Buckley is focused on affordability and efficient government, and that message sits at the center of her campaign. Buckley has made lowering insurance rates, reducing taxes, expanding affordable housing and fixing child and elder care systems part of her pitch to voters who are feeling pressure from both household bills and the cost of doing business.

The race is shaping up as one of the more competitive open-seat contests in the county. Recent reporting using L2 voter data says District 38 is about 34% Democratic, 33% Republican and nearly 30% unaffiliated, a mix that leaves neither party with an easy path to dominate. In a seat like that, endorsements from well-known Republicans can do more than signal approval. They can help define which candidate can unite the party base and reach the independent voters who may decide the outcome.

Scott’s endorsement also adds to a growing pile of establishment Republican support behind Buckley. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has already endorsed her in the Republican primary, and six former Central Florida lawmakers have lined up behind her: Bob Cortes, Scott Plakon, Mike Miller, Rene “Coach P” Plasencia, Fred Hawkins and David Santiago.

Buckley’s campaign had reported raising $133,825 and spending $17,910 in its most recent filing, giving her a financial base as the primary takes shape. With Scott now in her corner, Buckley enters the next phase of the race with a stronger claim to be the Republican who can make affordability the defining issue in a district where voters are likely to feel its effects most directly in rent, premiums and small-business costs.