As the winter holidays approach, a surprising number of voters across the United States are preparing for a flurry of special elections, each with its own unique story and significance. From the shores of Florida and the fields of Iowa to the heart of Oklahoma City and the towns of South Carolina, these contests are set to shape local and state governments in ways both subtle and profound.
Let’s start in Florida, where two high-profile special elections are capturing attention. In Senate District 11, the seat left open by Blaise Ingoglia’s move to Chief Financial Officer will be decided on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. The race pits Republican Ralph Massullo, a dermatologist and former four-term House member from Lecanto, against Democrat Ash Marwah, a civil engineer from The Villages. According to Florida Politics, Massullo’s campaign has been buoyed by a tidal wave of support: endorsements from Governor Ron DeSantis, Ingoglia himself, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, U.S. Senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott, several GOP Congressmen, and local sheriffs. The Florida Chamber of Commerce has also thrown its weight behind him. Marwah, meanwhile, has the backing of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus.
Despite the odds, Marwah has made his case, arguing that Republican leaders are "playing games" with congressional redistricting—a process, he says, that threatens decades of civil rights progress. "No need to go through this expense," Marwah said at an October forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Citrus County. "It will really ruin decades of progress in civil rights. We should honor the rule of law that we agreed on that it’ll be done every 10 years. I’m not sure why the game is being played at this point." Massullo, for his part, countered that districts should reflect population changes and that race should not factor into drawing boundaries. "The people of our state deserve to be adequately represented based on population," he said. "I personally do not believe we should use race as a means to justify particular areas. I’m one that believes we should be blind to race, blind to creed, blind to sex, in everything that we do, particularly looking at population."
Early turnout has been predictably low, hovering under 10% in Hernando and Pasco counties, 19% in Sumter, and 15% in Citrus. The district itself leans strongly Republican—Ingoglia and Donald Trump both won it by 69% in 2024. Massullo’s campaign war chest, at nearly $250,000, dwarfs Marwah’s $12,125, and his spending on consulting, events, and mailers has kept his name in the spotlight. One such mailer simply reminded voters that, yes, there’s an election happening.
Meanwhile, in Florida’s House District 90, another special election is underway to fill the seat of the late Rep. Joe Casello. The district, which covers parts of Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Golf, and Gulf Stream, has been without representation since Casello’s death in July. Voters have a choice among three candidates: Democrat Rob Long, the vice mayor of Delray Beach; Republican Maria Zack, who secured her candidacy after a September primary win; and independent Karen Yeh, a local businesswoman. Early voting ran from November 29 through December 7, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters must bring valid photo and signature identification, and ballots can be tracked online.
Long emphasizes his record on public safety, infrastructure, and redevelopment, while Zack, after defeating William Reicherter in the GOP primary, campaigns on her own vision for the district. Yeh, running without party affiliation, represents the independent voice in the race. Due to the timing of the special election, District 90 missed out on participation in fall committee weeks in Tallahassee, underscoring the importance of restoring representation as soon as possible.
Heading north to Iowa, voters in House District 7 are also heading to the polls on December 9. The seat became vacant when Rep. Mike Sexton resigned in September to become the director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office in Iowa. Sexton, who had served since 2014 and chaired the Agriculture Committee, leaves behind a district covering Calhoun, Pocahontas, and Sac counties, along with part of Webster County. The two candidates vying for the seat, both from Odebolt, are Republican Wendy Larson—a small business owner and active community member—and Democrat Rachel Burns, a school speech-language pathologist who also serves as a firefighter and EMT. Early voting continues through December 8, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. The winner will serve through January 2027.
In South Carolina, the House District 88 special election is set for December 23, just two days before Christmas. Early voting, which runs from December 8 through December 19 at the Lexington County Elections Administration Building, is already underway. The ballot features one Republican, John Lastinger, and one Democrat. Lastinger is urging voters to "show up and vote one more time," emphasizing the importance of securing a conservative platform in Columbia. The seat will be filled before the legislative session resumes in January 2026, and all registered voters in District 88 are eligible to participate.
Finally, Oklahoma presents a unique twist in the world of special elections. When Rep. Forrest Bennett resigned from House District 92 to lead the Oklahoma State AFL-CIO, Governor Kevin Stitt set special election dates that overlap with the 2026 general election. As Oklahoma Voice reports, this means some voters could see two races for the same seat on their ballots next year. Candidates can run in both the special election—which fills the remainder of Bennett’s term—and the regular general election for the full term. The special primary is slated for June 16, 2026, with a possible runoff on August 25, and the special general election set for November 3, unless a runoff isn’t needed. The House seat will remain vacant during the upcoming legislative session, and candidate filing runs from April 1 to April 3, 2026. As Oklahoma Election Board spokesperson Misha Mohr explained, "Our interpretation of state law is that a candidate may run in both the regular and special election because, in this case, it is for the same office. The candidate that wins the special election will serve the remainder of the unexpired term. The candidate that wins the regular election will serve the full term."
While the specifics differ from state to state, these special elections share a common theme: the importance of local representation and the sometimes quirky mechanisms by which American democracy fills its unexpected vacancies. Whether it’s a holiday-season contest in the Deep South, a three-way race in coastal Florida, or overlapping ballots in Oklahoma, voters are being called on, once again, to shape the future of their communities—one ballot at a time.
