Florida state Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis has won the Democratic nomination for a state Senate seat—defeating her brother, former state Sen. Randolph Bracy, in what turned into a highly personal primary battle.
Bracy Davis secured 42% of the vote in the four-person special primary race for Florida Senate District 15 in Orange County. In comparison, her brother placed last with just 12%, according to preliminary results from Tuesday’s primary.
“It feels wonderful, this was a hard-fought election, and I’m really grateful. The people of Senate District 15 spoke. They spoke loudly and they spoke clear that I am the candidate of choice,” she said, according to local NBC Affiliate WESH-TV.
Adding to the family drama, the siblings’ mother, LaVon Wright Bracy, endorsed her daughter over her son, according to The Associated Press. The race drew attention not only for the rare sibling matchup, but also because it followed the death of longtime state Sen. Geraldine Thompson, a close family friend who previously held the seat. Thompson passed away earlier this year, creating the vacancy.
The Thompson family publicly endorsed Bracy Davis in the primary. On her campaign website, she described herself as picking up Thompson’s “torch of justice, progress and service.”
Mr. Bracy’s campaign site emphasized the Bracy family’s long legacy of public service in Central Florida, though he only mentioned their father, not their mother. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Mr. Bracy said it was “disappointing and hurtful” that his sister chose to run against him after he announced his bid for office.
Bracy Davis, for her part, has largely avoided discussing the decision to run against her brother. But this isn’t the first time the two have landed on opposite sides of a race. In 2024, when Mr. Bracy challenged Sen. Thompson in a Democratic primary, Bracy Davis backed Thompson instead of her brother.
Both siblings have previously served in the Florida Legislature. Mr. Bracy held a state Senate seat until 2022, when he stepped down to launch an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Congress. Bracy Davis currently serves in the state House.
In the general election, Bracy Davis will face Republican Willie Montague in a district where Democrats hold a clear advantage.