This story is part of a statewide partnership of more than 30 nonpartisan newsrooms and universities working to help Florida voters make informed decisions in the 2026 elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership at floridaelections.org.

More than seven months after Democrat Brian Nathan beat Republican Josie Tomkow by 409 votes in a special election for Florida Senate District 14, the two candidates are once again set to face off in the general election on Nov. 3. This time, voters will decide who represents District 14, which covers part of Hillsborough County, for a full term.

The March special election was held after former Sen. Jay Collins resigned in August 2025 to serve as Florida’s lieutenant governor. Nathan won 40,245 votes to Tomkow’s 39,836 and took office March 24. The rematch pits a newly elected incumbent against Tomkow, who served eight years in the Florida House.

The race centers on issues such as property insurance, cost of living, flooding, education, and the balance of power between state and local government. Nathan is campaigning after his first months in office and plans for a full term, while Tomkow is pointing to her years in the Legislature and her record on issues including taxes, insurance and education.

Nathan’s legislative record remains limited. He has voted in 29 recorded floor roll calls since joining the Senate during special sessions. 

Among the votes Nathan singled out as significant was his opposition to congressional redistricting during a special session. He said congressional maps should not be redrawn outside the normal census cycle and that changes were intended to make some Democratic members of Congress more vulnerable.

Tomkow enters the rematch with a longer legislative record. Florida House records show she served in the Florida House from May 2018 until March 17, 2026, representing District 51 in Polk County. She chaired the PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee from December 2022 to November 2024 and later chaired the House Health and Human Services Committee from November 2024 until she left office in March 2026. 

According to Nathan, the tight results in March helped him understand how important it is to connect with voters in the area.

“I kind of ran as a working class candidate,” Nathan said. “I’m an electrician by trade, I’m a union leader, and that really seemed to resonate.” 

Property insurance and the cost of living are central issues for both candidates.

For Nathan, the issue is personal. After his home flooded, Nathan said he fought with his insurance company for about a year and a half before paying for damages out of pocket. He supports stricter requirements for insurance companies to keep enough money available to pay claims and close loopholes that he says allow companies to escape paying legitimate claims.

“It doesn’t do anybody any good to pay premiums month after month, year after year for these companies to go bankrupt at the first bad hurricane,” Nathan said.

Nathan also pointed to South Tampa, Town ’n’ Country, Keystone, and Odessa as places where aging drainage systems and further development resulted in flood problems even during a heavy rainstorm. He said that these communities require additional funding to maintain their infrastructure.

Tomkow did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls seeking an interview.

Tomkow’s campaign website says she has campaigned on lowering insurance costs and flooding. Florida legislative records show that while in the Florida House, she supported two major insurance packages in 2022 that created reinsurance programs and changed rules concerning claims and insurance litigation. Her campaign also says she helped lead efforts to invest in flood mitigation infrastructure across Hillsborough County.

Another issue that both candidates have addressed is property tax relief.

Tomkow sponsored a bill in 2022 establishing an additional homestead exemption for teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other public service workers. Nathan assured his support for tax reform, but opposes Amendment 3 since it passed through the Legislature so quickly. He also argued placing the change in the state Constitution could make future problems harder to correct.

The candidates differ when it comes to labor and local control. Nathan said that one of his goals if elected to a full term will be to examine state legislation that makes it harder for unions that represent public sector workers to operate. He added that groups such as teachers, bus drivers, and utility workers deserve greater protections in bargaining for their wages and working conditions.

Nathan criticized Tomkow’s stance on matters of local government. Florida legislative records show that Tomkow sponsored HB 919 in 2021 which prohibited cities, counties, and other local administrative units from restricting specific types of utility fuels. Tomkow said the bill was intended to protect consumer energy choices and natural gas while still allowing local governments to support clean energy. The bill came into effect the same year.

Regarding education, their views also differ. Nathan believes in increasing funding for education and raising teachers’ salaries. Tomkow sponsored significant education bills in 2024, such as a school choice bill which revamped Florida’s scholarship programs, and an education funding law which was part of the state budget.

Voters will decide on Nov. 3 which candidate represents District 14 for the next full Senate term.

Yaelis Pena is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in Global Strategic Communications at Florida International University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Digital Journalism from FIU’s Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media. She hopes to elevate community voices and coverage of local accountability.