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Capital Tiger Bay: Corey Simon and Daryl Parks squared off in a State Senate debate

A headshot of Republican State Senator is on the left. A headshot of Democratic Civil Rights attorney Daryl Parks is on the right.
Colin Hackley, the News Service of Florida, and the Daryl Parks Campaign

Democrats see Simon’s seat as potentially flippable.

With the general election just a few weeks away, the candidates for State Senate District 3, which serves the Tallahassee area, are highlighting their differences.

Republican Incumbent Corey Simon and Democratic challenger Daryl Parks debated at the Capital Tiger Bay Club Tuesday. The candidates grappled over the state’s current 6-week abortion ban.

In a campaign ad, Parks has previously accused Simon of supporting abortion bans, but Simon voted against Florida’s current law—a point brought up during the debate.

“On the six-week abortion ban, what was my vote?," Simon asked Parks on stage.

"You voted against it, but you have a full record of plenty other votes that we’ve exposed," replied Parks.

On Tuesday, Oct, 15, 2024, the Capital Tiger Bay Club held a State Senate debate for District 3. The event brought dozens of lobbyists and concerned voters to Tallahassee. (Adrian Andrews/WFSU)
Adrian Andrews
/
WFSU Public Media
On Tuesday, Oct, 15, 2024, the Capital Tiger Bay Club held a State Senate debate for District 3. The event brought dozens of lobbyists and concerned voters to Tallahassee. (Adrian Andrews/WFSU)

Tuesday’s debate brought dozens of lobbyists and concerned voters to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee.

Both Parks and Simon have spent millions of dollars on attack ads to win District 3.

It’s a contentious race because Democrats see Simon’s seat as potentially flippable. Before Simon won in 2022, the seat had long been held by Democrats. The NFL football star-turned-politician, defeated Democratic Sen. Loranne Ausley.

Adrian Andrews is a multimedia journalist with WFSU Public Media. He is a Gadsden County native and a first-generation college graduate from Florida A&M University. Adrian is also a military veteran, ending his career as a Florida Army National Guard Non-Comissioned Officer.

Adrian has experience in print writing, digital content creation, documentary, and film production. He has spent the last four years on the staff of several award-winning publications such as The Famuan, Gadsden County News Corp, and Cumulus Media before joining the WFSU news team.