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Brett Hage prevails in State House 33 race

Ocala Star-Banner - 11/4/2020

Nov. 4--Republican lawmaker Brett Hage won a second term in District 33 of the Florida House of Representatives by a landslide on Tuesday, defeating retired military veteran and Democrat Mamie "Dee" Melvin.

Hage, 45, who was first elected in 2018, represents District 33, which covers all of Sumter County and small portions of Marion and Lake counties. About two-thirds of District 33 voters live in Sumter, 20% in Lake and 13% in Marion.

The district includes all of The Villages. Hage won all three counties handily, taking 93,569 (69.9%) votes to Melvin's 40,317 (30.1%).

--Sumter: Hage, 62,811 (70.3%); Melvin, 26,567 (29.7%).

--Lake: Hage, 18,428 (68.3%); Melvin, 8,574 (31.7%).

--Marion: Hage, 12,359 (70.4%); Melvin, 5,196, (29.6%).

Election results: See the latest results for the Florida House District 33 race

Hage could not be reached for comment for this story. He declined to be interviewed by the Star-Banner when he first ran for the office in 2018 and for a recent preview story.

On his campaign webpage, Hage detailed a platform of serving "our community and help preserve the American Dream."

"I know the value of hard work and standing up for what you believe in," he wrote on his website. "I will serve you every day with honor and integrity."

Melvin, 69, ran in hopes to better the lives of Florida citizens. The Democrat said she would fight for a higher minimum wage, better health care and affordable housing. Melvin, a 30-year U.S. Air Force veteran, lives in The Villages.

In an interview on Tuesday night, Melvin said she knew it would be a tough road, stating "if you don't play, you can't win."

"I want to thank my volunteers," Melvin noted. "If hard work could have brought it over the line for us, we would have won hands down. Hopefully in this upcoming session, Mr. Hage will work really hard to work for all the constituents of District 33."

District 33 covers a small portion of southern Marion County. Representatives serve two-year terms and are paid $29,697 per year. Representatives can serve no more than four two-year terms.

Joe Callahan can be reached at 867-4113 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews

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