Luis Rojas (Florida politician)

In 1986, Republican State Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced that she would run for the State Senate rather than seek re-election. Rojas ran to succeed her in the 110th district.^[2] He faced a crowded Republican primary,^[3] and lost to attorney Lincoln Díaz-Balart in a landslide, receiving 10 percent of the vote to Díaz-Balart's 51 percent.^[4]

Two years later, in 1988, Republican State Representative Rudy García opted to run for the State Senate rather than seek re-election.^[5] Rojas ran to succeed him in the 109th district, and faced legal secretary Christina MacKenzie-Marañon and contractor Gus Perez.^[6] In the primary, Rojas placed first with 41 percent, but because he did not receive a majority, he advanced to a runoff election with MacKenzie-Marañon,^[7] who placed second with 34 percent.^[8] Rojas ultimately won the runoff and advanced to the general election against Irene Secada, the Democratic nominee.^[9] Rojas defeated Secada in a landslide, winning 65 percent of the vote.^[10]

Rojas was re-elected without opposition in 1990.^[11]

In 1992, following the reconfiguration of the state's legislative districts after the 1990 Census, Rojas opted to run for re-election in the 102nd district, which extended from Hialeah to Naples in Collier County. He was challenged in the Republican primary by Gus Perez, a real estate appraiser who ran against him in the 1988 primary.^[12] Rojas won the primary in a landslide, receiving 69 percent of the vote to Perez's 31 percent,^[13] and was unopposed in the general election.^[14]

Rojas ran for re-election in 1994 and was challenged in the Republican primary by William Greene, a political science instructor at Florida International University.^[15] Rojas easily won the Republican primary, receiving 76 percent of the vote to Greene's 24 percent.^[16] He was re-elected unopposed in 1996^[17] and 1998.^[18]

In 2000, Rojas was term-limited and unable to run for re-election. Instead, he ran for the State Senate to succeed Roberto Casas. He faced fellow State Representative Rudy García and Hialeah City Council President Alex Morales in the Republican primary.^[19] Rojas was endorsed by the Díaz de la Portilla family, including State Senator Alex Díaz de la Portilla and County Commissioner Miguel Díaz de la Portilla, while García was supported by County Mayor Alex Penelas.^[20] García won the nomination in a landslide, receiving 56 percent of the vote to Morales's 32 percent and Rojas's 12 percent.^[21]