Former Broward Schools Chair Elected to Florida Senate

A former member of the Broward County Public School Board is heading to the Florida senate.

Democrat Rosalind Osgood, the former chair of the school board, was elected to represent District 33 in Broward County’s special elections on Tuesday.

Voters in cities in the county, including Lighthouse Point, Hillsboro Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, and Pembroke Pines, were making picks for some commissioner seats. In contrast, voters in District 33 voted for a new Florida state senator.

District 33 covers parts of Margate, Pompano Beach, Tamarac, North Lauderdale, Sunrise, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Oakland Park, Plantation, and Fort Lauderdale. The race was between Osgood and Republican Joseph Carter.

The outspoken 56-year-old Broward native won 81 percent of the vote.

Osgood has been a member of the BCPS Board for nine years but has received media attention over the last two years as one of the prominent voices in the district’s battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over mask-wearing in schools and COVID-19 protocols.

Although the Governor imposed a ban on mask mandates, Dr. Osgood was adamant that it was the best way to keep the community and children safe.

“In Broward County, we see people dying. We’re attending funerals. We see kids and staff being impacted by COVID-19. We’re having a real-life experience where people that we love, work, and play with are dying every day. Our cry is based on the need to provide some safety and stability to the people in our community,” she said in September, amid a court battle with the state. The district’s masking rules have since been relaxed.

Scores of Florida representatives, including Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, congratulated Osgood on her victory.

“Congratulations to [Dr. Rosalind Osgood] on tonight’s overwhelming victory! Dr. Osgood will be a wonderful addition to our Florida Senate Democrats and a strong fighter for Floridians as we continue to battle against the dangerous, hyper-partisan GOP agenda in Tallahassee,” she wrote via Twitter.

“A former Broward Schools Board Member, Dr. Osgood is widely respected across Broward for her work creating programs to offer new opportunities for students, especially in communities of color. I look forward to serving with Dr. Osgood and congratulate her again on a well-deserved win,” she added.

Elsewhere in South Florida, another Democrat, Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds, won 80 percent of the votes, ahead of Republican Guarina Torres, to represent Palm Beach County’s House District 88.

Both Osgood and Edmonds will have to run again in the August 23 primaries and November 8 general election.