Republican state Sen. Alexis Calatayud and Democrat Richard Lamondin are in a close contest for Florida Senate District 38 ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. Independent Jeffrey “Doc” Solomon is also on the ballot. Florida Politics ranked the race No. 7 among the 11 South Florida contests to watch.
The district covers Cutler Bay, Key Biscayne, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest and South Miami, along with parts of Coral Gables, Homestead and Miami and the Kendall and Westchester areas. Republicans now outnumber Democrats there by more than 19,400 voters, according to the Division of Elections.
Calatayud, 33, is best known for the Live Local Act, a 2023 housing law that lets qualifying projects bypass certain zoning, height and density limits if at least 40% of units stay affordable for 30 years. She has also voted against Florida’s six-week abortion ban and carried a domestic violence package and Jewish school security funding.
Lamondin, 39, a first-time candidate and co-founder of the plumbing efficiency company ecofi, says the housing law favors developers over residents. He wants local zoning authority restored and has criticized Calatayud’s votes on insurance and the Alligator Alcatraz emergency fund.
An October poll by Impact Research found the two candidates tied at 40%, with Solomon at 4% and 15% undecided. Calatayud led 43% to 36% in the firm’s July survey.
Money is also a factor. Calatayud has raised more than $4.3 million since 2022 and had about $1.76 million left to spend one week before the election. Lamondin had about $44,500 remaining as of Oct. 27.
