Florida Rep. Paula Stark Disqualified, Democrats Flip House District 47

Incumbent Republican Rep. Paula Stark missed the June 12 deadline to file the required Form 6 public financial disclosure for Florida House District 47. Leon County Circuit Judge Joshua Hawkes dismissed Stark’s lawsuit seeking reinstatement, ruling that the form was not turned in before the deadline and that Stark failed to qualify for the ballot. Consequently, the Florida Division of Elections listed only two qualified candidates – Democrats Jorge Figueroa and Anthony Nieves – leaving the district without a Republican contender. With no opposition on the November ballot, the August 18 Democratic primary will determine the winner, effectively guaranteeing the seat for the Democratic Party.

The incident highlights procedural compliance issues in state elections. Judge Hawkes emphasized, “The Form 6 was not turned in before the noon deadline, and [Stark] did not show that she qualified for HD47,” underscoring that the disqualification was based on a clear filing failure rather than any substantive dispute over the candidate’s qualifications.