Luis Salazar becomes second Democrat trying to flip HD 64 after infamous Susan Valdés party swap

Luis Salazar, a Navy veteran and community advocate, has officially launched his campaign for House District 64, becoming the second Democrat in the race.

Salazar joins former Tampa City Council member Mike Suarez in the contest. So far, no Republican has filed to run for the seat, which is currently held by term-limited Rep. Susan Valdés. Valdés is a Republican, but when she last won the seat was a Democrat. She changed parties shortly after her 2024 re-election.

Salazar is the current President of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party’s LGBTQ+ Caucus. Originally from California and raised in Arizona, Salazar is a first-generation college graduate who is fluent in English and Spanish.

Salazar credits his experience serving in the U.S. Navy with shaping his commitment to community.

“Serving in the Navy taught me what it truly means to serve, putting people first, leading with integrity, and standing up for what’s right,” Salazar said. “I’m ready to bring those same values to Tallahassee and fight for the people of District 64.”

The district has a voter advantage for Democrats, who hold more than 37% of the electorate. Republican voters, meanwhile, account for nearly 29% of the district’s voters, according to the most recent L2 voter data.

Salazar works in media and public engagement and has worked on various campaigns and initiatives promoting equality, equal representation and voter participation, in addition to his work on LGBTQ+ and Latino voter engagement and coalition building.

“Luis has already served his country with honor, and now he’s stepping up to serve his community. He understands leadership, accountability, and compassion, qualities Floridians are looking for in their representatives,” Campaign Manager Nick Biscardi said.

Salazar said his campaign will focus on pressing issues facing Florida residents, particularly those in Tampa-based HD 64, including affordable housing, access to quality education, veterans’ services and opportunities for all.

Salazar filed for the race on Oct. 24, but officially announced his candidacy on Monday. He joins Suarez, who launched his campaign in early September.

Suarez, a third-generation Tampa native, served on the Tampa City Council from 2011 until 2019.

Since his service on the City Council, Suarez has unsuccessfully run for a few seats. He lost in 2023 for a bid to return to the City Council, and in 2019 ran for Mayor, collecting just 5% of the vote in an eight-way race.

As an open race, HD 64 will likely garner a lot of attention. Valdés shocked Democrats last December when she announced she was switching political parties, saying the party was ignoring her. However, the move came less than a week after Valdés lost a bid to chair the Hillsborough County Democratic Party.

Republicans will no doubt put up their own candidate to replace her and hold onto the newly gained seat, while Democrats will be hungry to reclaim it.