Democrat Richard Lamondin, a Miami entrepreneur, has dropped out of a race for Congress by switching to run for a state Senate seat held by Republican incumbent state Sen. Alexis Calatayud.
Lamondin announced Tuesday that he's running for state Senate District 38 seat, which represents portions of south Miami-Dade County.
State Senate District 38 includes Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami, parts of Homestead and Coral Gables, and the unincorporated neighborhoods of Goulds, Kendall, Perrine, Redland, Sunset and Westchester.
Calatayud was first elected to a four-year term in 2022 as a political newcomer, defeating Democrat Janelle Perez in a seat held by Annette Taddeo, who left the seat to run unsuccessfully for Congress. She won 54%-46%.
Before taking on Calatayud, Lamondin must win the Aug. 18 Democratic primary. He faces at least one other candidate: Democrat Heniy Dixon, a pastor and former Florida City commission candidate.
Florida Politics reported that Taddeo is "strongly considering" joining the race to win back her former seat.
Lamondin, before embarking on the state Senate contest, was running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep María Elvira Salazar. That Democratic primary race is a crowded field that includes former CBS4 anchor Eliott Rodriguez.
READ MORE: Miami business owner seeks to unseat Republican U.S. Rep María Elvira Salazar in long shot campaign
In a video announcing his new campaign, Lamondin says he’s promising to fight to lower costs and take on what he calls corruption in Tallahassee.
"Florida has everything it needs to give people here a fair shot," Lamondin said in a statement. "What it's missing is leadership with real skin in the game."
"I pay preschool bills that rival rent. I support my aging parents. I own a home where insurance premiums have nearly tripled. And every two weeks, I make payroll for my employees whose livelihoods depend on my business succeeding," he said. "I'm living this — just like so many people in our community. And I'm done waiting for Tallahassee to do something about it."
His campaign said Lamondin, co-founder of ecofi, an environmental services company, built his firm "from the ground up, starting by installing toilets alongside his brother, and grew it into one of the largest sustainability firms in the country, creating hundreds of jobs in Miami."
Lamondin's campaign team said top Florida Democrats.
are backing his campaign.
"I’ve known Richard for over a decade — long before politics brought us together," said state Senator Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens. "I know his character, I know his heart, and I know the kind of leader he is. The people of Miami couldn't have a better champion."
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said state Senate district 38 "is one of our top seats to flip this year — and candidates like Richard are the ones to do it."
