Florida House of Representatives
In 1990,Republican State Representative Dale Patchett declined to seek re-election,and Sembler ran to succeed him in the 78th district,which included parts of Brevard,Indian River,and St. Lucie counties,and resigned from the Tax District Commission. [4] He faced six candidates in the Republican primary:Vero Beach City Councilwoman Molly Beard,businessmen Zack Fulmer and Charlie Wilson,anti-abortion activist Caroline Ginn,insurance agent Tim Keegan,and businessman Allen Miller. [5] Sembler placed first in the primary with 29 percent of the vote,but because no candidate received a majority,he proceeded to a runoff election with Ginn, [6] who placed second with 24 percent of the vote. [7] In the runoff election,Sembler narrowly defeated Ginn,receiving 53 percent of the vote to her 47 percent. [8] He advanced to the general election,where he faced Democratic nominee Richard Graves,a citrus businessman and former member of the Florida Citrus Commission. [9] Though Graves outspent Sembler, [10] Sembler defeated him by a wide margin,winning 55 percent of the vote. [11]
Following the reconfiguration of Florida's legislative districts after the 1990 Census,Sembler ran for re-election in the 80th district,which included eastern Indian River County and Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County. [12] He was the only candidate to file and was re-elected unopposed. [13]
Sembler was re-elected without opposition in 1994, [14] 1996, [15] and 1998. [16] In 2000,Sembler faced term limits and could not run for re-election to a sixth term. [17]
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