The Ocoee Democrat said that Thompson was her mentor and frequent legislative partner.

“Together we passed several bills, me as the House sponsor and her as the Senate sponsor,” Bracy Davis said. “As a freshman legislator, I don't believe I would have been as successful without her guidance and words of wisdom. Hear me clearly: I am forever grateful for Sen. Geraldine Thompson.”

Now, Bracy Davis said, she wanted to continue the mission, one she said she’s been fighting since she first got to Tallahassee.

“You have seen me fight for  the underserved, the under-resourced, the forgotten, the historically disenfranchised, the working-class families who often feel like the system wasn't built for them because I believe that public service is not about playing it safe. It's about standing up, speaking out, and delivering results.

“ Right now our people are crying out for leadership that sees them, hears them and fights for them. We see families working hard but still struggling to afford a place to live. We see the right to vote under attack; gun violence robbing us of our loved ones; the Medicaid waiver wait list with over 22,000 disabled Floridians desperately waiting for services; women’s freedoms being stripped away; rising health-care costs are shrinking opportunities. The list unfortunately goes on.

“These challenges are not new, and they are not impossible to overcome if we have the right leader in place to lead. And I stand here today to say, I will not waver. I will not retreat. I will continue to fight with every ounce of my being to ensure that Florida works for us all. Because that is what Sen. Geraldine F. Thompson taught us. She showed us that progress is not promise, it is fought for. She showed us that justice is not given, it is demanded. She showed us that leadership is not about personal gain, it is about service, sacrifice and an unshakable commitment to the people.”

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Elizabeth Thompson Grace, the late senator’s daughter, spoke briefly, saying that she and her mother spoke about everything, including her plans for District 15 once she retired.

“She was very clear and  explicitly stated that when she left office, she intended to endorse and support Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis,” Thompson’s daughter said. “She believed that Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis was the best fit to be an advocate and a spokesperson for the constituents of Florida Senate District 15. So although she is not here to offer her endorsement, we stand behind Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis's candidacy to assume the role of senator of District 15."

Bracy Davis later told VoxPopuli via text that over the years she had a "number of conversations with Thompson and her family about planning for the future of Senate District 15. This past September, the Senator gave me her blessing that upon her retirement, she would endorse me to run for her seat. While our initial timing centered around Sen. Thompson's retirement, I'm honored that with the blessing of her family we were able to pivot and announce my candidacy today."

Last month, Bracy Davis’ estranged brother, former state Sen. Randolph Bracy, also announced his intention to run for Thompson’s seat. He posted a video on Instagram from the Amalfi Coast, on Feb. 14, the day after Thompson passed, to announce his plans. Bracy received some blowback for the timing of his announcement. Bracy held the senate seat until 2022 when he attempted a run for Congress in District 10, in a race ultimately won by Congressman Maxwell Frost.

Bracy tried to reclaim the District 15 senate seat in 2024 in what turned out to be a bitter, ugly race that Thompson won in a landslide.

Asked to comment about her brother’s plans, Bracy Davis thanked the reporter icily for the question.

“I love my brother and I wish him well,” Bracy Davis said. “I am not going to be running against anything. I am going to be running for the people of Senate District 15.”

The former senator did not respond to VoxPopuli’s request for comment about his sister’s candidacy.

Bracy Davis also announced that she filed an amendment to the Street Designation Bill to name a section of South Street in front of the museum Geraldine F. Thompson Lane.  

With Bracy Davis set to run for the state senate that means House District 40 seat opens up. House District 40 is comprised of Ocoee, Pine Hills, College Park, Fairview Shores, Riverside Acres.

Asked during the press conference who she would like to see serve the district, Bracy Davis said that while “he is not announcing anything today,” she would be “the first to endorse my chief of staff Rashon Young” if he were to run.

She went on to say that Young is familiar with policy and the terrain. “He knows House District 40, and House District 40 knows him," she said.

Meanwhile, the date for the special election has yet to be announced.

“We’re waiting on the governor,” Bracy Davis quipped when asked about it. “If you have his direct line, feel free to call him.”