Florida brother and sister are running against each other in ‘hurtful’ state senate race

Randolph Bracy and LaVon Bracy Davis are squaring off in the Democratic primary for Florida’s State Senate District 15 seat on Tuesday.

And the similarity in surnames on the ballot isn’’t a coincidence — the Bracys are brother and sister on opposite sides of a heated political battle being closely watched across the Sunshine State.

The seat, once held by longtime state Sen. Geraldine Thompson, opened earlier this year following Thompson’s death.

Both Bracy siblings bring legislative experience: Randolph is a former state senator, and LaVon served in the Florida House of Representatives.

This family feud is rooted in deep tension. Their mother, prominent civil rights activist Lavon Wright Bracy, who was not only a close friend of Thompson but maid of honor at her wedding, has publicly endorsed LaVon over Randolph.

This isn’t the first time the Bracy family has been entangled in political rivalry. During last year’s Democratic primary for a state Senate seat, when Randolph Bracy and Geraldine Thompson faced off, LaVon Bracy Davis publicly backed Thompson over her own brother.

Recently, a Republican political operative circulated campaign flyers with the tongue-in-cheek headline, “Bracy Yourself!”

Randolph, 48, told the Orlando Sentinel that his sister’s entry into the race after he announced his bid was “disappointing and hurtful.”

Meanwhile, LaVon, 45, says her campaign is not a challenge to her brother, but a pledge to serve the people of District 15. She has pledged to continue Thompson’s legacy, focusing on voting rights and increasing pay for public school teachers.

Thompson’s family has backed LaVon, an attorney by training.

Also running in the primary are personal injury attorney, Coretta Anthony‑Smith, and former Congressman Alan Grayson, best known for his 2009 speech on the House floor where he claimed Republicans want sick Americans to "die quickly."

The winner will advance to face Republican Willie Montague in September in a heavily Democratic district.

District 15 covers western Orange County, including Orlando neighborhoods such as Ocoee, Apopka, Eatonville, and Dr. Phillips, areas where Black voters make up more than half of the registered Democrats.