Florida, State Representative, District 43

Florida House of Representatives District 43
Current incumbent	John Cortes
Population	157,986
Race	64.2% White, 14.6% Black, 0.6% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 12.8% Some other race alone, 4.6% Two or More Races
Ethnicity	25.6% Single-Race Non-Hispanic White, 12.6% Non-Hispanic Black, 4.0% Hispanic Black, 53.4% Hispanic, 4.5% Non-Hispanic Other
Voting age	73.4% age 18 and over

Florida's forty-third state house district is represented by Democratic Representative John Cortes.

As of the 2010 census, a total of 157,986 civilians reside within Florida's forty-third state house district. Florida state representatives represent an average of 156,678 residents, as of the 2010 Census. After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 133,186 residents.

About the office

Members of the Florida House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits. Members of the House may serve no more than four consecutive terms. Florida legislators assume office two weeks following their election.

Qualifications

To run for the Florida House of Representatives, candidates must be 21 years old, have lived in Florida for two years and live in the district they intend to serve.

Salaries

State legislators
Salary	Per diem
$29,697/year	$152/day based on the number of days in Tallahassee.

Term limits

The Florida legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Florida Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Florida representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the house, a special election must be called to fill the vacant seat. The Governor is responsible for calling the election and must consult with the Secretary of State to set the election dates and nominating deadlines. The person elected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Florida House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 18, 2020. The filing deadline is June 12, 2020.

2018

General election

The general election was canceled.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 43

Incumbent John Cortes advanced from the Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 43 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		John Cortes (D)

The results have been certified.

Republican primary election

No Republican candidates ran in the primary.

2016

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.

Incumbent John Cortes ran unopposed in the Florida House of Representatives District 43 general election.

Florida House of Representatives, District 43 General Election, 2016

Party	Candidate
	Democratic	John Cortes Incumbent (unopposed)
Source: Florida Division of Elections

Incumbent John Cortes defeated Ricardo Rangel and Sara Shaw in the Florida House of Representatives District 43 Democratic primary.

Florida House of Representatives, District 43 Democratic Primary, 2016

Party	Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Cortes Incumbent	41.80%	4,589
	Democratic	Ricardo Rangel	29.20%	3,206
	Democratic	Sara Shaw	28.99%	3,183
Total Votes			10,978

2014

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. John Cortes defeated incumbent Ricardo Rangel in the Democratic primary, while Carlos L. Irizarry, Sr. was unopposed in the Republican primary. Cortes defeated Irizarry in the general election.

Florida House of Representatives, District 43 Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
John Cortes	51.7%	2,844
Ricardo Rangel Incumbent	48.3%	2,653
Total Votes		5,497

2012

Elections for the Florida House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 14, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 8, 2012. Ricardo Rangel (D) defeated Art Otero (R) in the general election. Both candidates were unopposed in the August 14 primary elections.

Florida House of Representatives, District 43, General Election, 2012

Party	Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ricardo Rangel	67.7%	36,574
	Republican	Art Otero	32.3%	17,434
Total Votes			54,008

Campaign contributions

From 2012 to 2016, candidates for Florida House of Representatives District 43 raised a total of $351,679. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $39,075 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Florida House of Representatives District 43

Year	Amount	Candidates	Average
2016	$100,630	4	$25,158
2014	$130,220	3	$43,407
2012	$120,829	2	$60,415
Total	$351,679	9	$39,075