November 5 Election: VP Harris Vs. Former President Trump in Showdown For White House; Other Local Races Also to Be Decided
On November 5, voters nationwide will head to the polls for the highly anticipated match up between Vice President Kamala Harris and former Vice President Donald Trump who are seeking to become the next president of the United States.
Florida is among the key battleground states as Harris is seeking to cut into Trump's homebase where he beat Biden in 2020 but still lost the election.
The two clashed during a debate last month in Pennsylvania focusing on several hot button issues, including abortion, inflation, the economy and the Israeli war and the deaths of hostages.
Harris and Trump are neck in neck in most of the polls with Trump leading in Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania while Harris has Michigan, Illinois and California.
Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan, which are the four most populous states most likely to decide the November election, according to CNN.
In Florida, Republicans have the most registered voters in Florida with 5,324,654 as of July 31, 2024, according to the Florida Division of Elections.
Democrats have 4,327,859 registered voters and 3.5 million for No party affiliation.
The November 5 election will also see local candidates competing for the U.S. Senate, Congress, the state Legislature, sheriff, school board, state attorney, county commission, judicial offices and two constitutional amendments-- repealing abortion rights and legalizing recreational marijauna.
For the U.S. Senate, incumbent Rick Scott, who won the Republican primary election by a landslide, faces former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Democrat.
For U.S. House of Representatives District 21, incumbent Brian Mast, a Republican, faces Democratic challenger Thomas Witkop, who ran unopposed in the Primary, and write-in candidate Elizabeth Felton.
For House District 22, Dan Franzese, who won the Republican Primary, Franzese will face Democratic incumbent state Rep. Lois Frankel.
For House District 23, Republican Joe Kaufman faces incumbent U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who won the Democratic Primary by default.
For House District 24, Jesus Navarro, a Republican, faces U.S. Congresswoman Fredrica Wilson, who won the Democratic Primary unopposed, and write-in candidate Lavern Spicer.
For House District 25 (Broward County), Republican Chris Eddy challenges U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who beat Jennifer Perelman by 83 percent of the vote to win the Democratic nomination.
For state Representative for District 94 in Palm Beach County, which is an open seat, Palm Beach Moms and Liberty Chair Meg Meinberger, who won the Republican Primary faces former Palm Beach commissioner Rachelle Litt who won by default to secure the Democratic nomination.
For Florida House District 105, state Rep. Marie Woodson, a Haitian American who's seeking a third term, faces Libertarian Party political newcomer Hlavka in the Primary.
Woodson was first elected to the House in 2020 as the first Haitian American from Broward County and won reelection in 2022.
For state Senate District 35, former Broward County mayor Barbara Sharief, who won the Democratic Primary, faces Republican Vincent Parlatore, who served in the U.S. Air Force and worked at the Broward County Sheriff's office.
For state Rep. District 89 in Palm Beach County, Democratic newcomer Debra Tendrich, executive director of a non-profit, will face teacher Daniel Zapata, a Republican who lost a close race in 2022.
For the first time in nearly 60 years, voters will pick a Miami-Dade County Sheriff as Miami-Dade Public Safety Chief James Reyes, a Democrat, and Miami-Dade Assistant Director Rosanna Cordero-Stutz, a Republican, face off in November.
For Broward County Sheriff, incumbent Sheriff Gregory Tony, who won the Democratic Primary over three challengers, will face independent candidate Charles Edward Whatley, a former United States Marine Corps veteran and law enforcement professional.
For Palm Beach County School Board District 1, attorney Matthew Jay Lane and Page Lewis, executive director of a Christian youth ministry that serves children living in poverty, face off in a runoff.
For Palm Beach County School Board District 5, teacher Gloria Branch and Mindy Koch, a Former Palm Beach County Democratic Executive Committee chairwoman, also are in a runoff.
For Palm Beach State Attorney, Alexcia Cox, the deputy chief assistant, faces Republican winner Sam Stern, a former assistant state attorney who has his private practice, in November.
For Palm Beach County Commissioner, former state Senator Bobby Powell Jr., a Democrat, will face Republican Leonard L. Serratore.
For Broward County Court Judge Group 10, family attorney Samuel Ford Stark and assistant city attorney Woody Clermont will face off in a run-off.
Palm Beach County Judge Group 2, defense attorney and former prosecutor Lourdes Casanova and trial lawyer Jean Marie Middleton will also face off in a run-off.
Voters will decide on two constitutional amendments.
Amendment 4 is to restore abortion rights with no government interference, and Amendment 3 is asking voters to legalize recreational marijuana.