Travel Agent Defeated in Florida House Democratic Primary
by Richard D’Ambrosio /
John Upchurch, owner of Odyssey Travel, Ormond Beach, Florida, was defeated Tuesday in the Democratic party District 6 primary. He came in second behind White House veteran and favored candidate Nancy Soderberg for a seat in the House of Representatives.
Upchurch, making his first attempt at elected office, would have been the first active travel agency owner to be elected to Congress. He won 23 percent of the district’s votes Tuesday, versus Soderberg’s 56 percent. Local radiologist Stephen Sevigny earned 22 percent of the votes.
Upchurch said he chose to run for office because the district’s residents and business community are facing difficult challenges, including a high cost of living and poor infrastructure. The Congressional seat was previously held by Republican Representative Ron DeSantis, who decided to run for Florida Governor.