margin, winning 56% of the vote to Walker's 44%. When State Senator Nancy Argenziano resigned from her seat to accept an appointment to the Florida Public Service Commission, a special election was called to replace her. Baxley and fellow State Representative Charles Dean announced that they would resign from their seats in the legislature on May 1, 2007, to run to succeed her. Over the course of the campaign, Dean attacked Baxley for raising taxes, increasing insurance premiums, and allowing phone rates to skyrocket. Baxley lost to Dean in the Republican primary, receiving 44% of the vote to Dean's 56%. When Kurt Kelly, who replaced Baxley in the Florida House of Representatives in a 2007 special election, opted to run for the United States House of Representatives rather than seek re-election, Baxley ran to succeed him. He won the Republican primary unopposed, and faced Michael Hageloh, the Democratic nominee and a businessman. This was Hageloh's first run for political office and his campaign was overwhelmingly self-funded. Baxley campaigned on his experience and institutional knowledge, saying, "I believe in recycling, so I guess I'm the green candidate. I believe I can recycle some of the experience I've learned and go there and make a difference for Marion County." Baxley defeated Hageloh in a landslide, winning 64% of the vote to Hageloh's 36%. When legislative districts were redrawn in 2012, Baxley was moved into the 23rd District, which contained most of the district that he previously represented in the 24th District. He won both the primary and general elections unopposed. In 2014, Baxley was re-elected to the House without opposition. While serving in the legislature, Baxley sponsored a stand-your-ground law that attracted attention in 2012 when George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. Despite this, however, Baxley did not feel as though the legislation applied to the case, noting, "I still don't think it applies. Nothing in this statute authorizes 'pursuit, confront, provoke.'" Florida Senate Baxley announced that he intended to run for the Florida Senate in 2016 to replace term-limited senator Charles Dean, who defeated him in 2007. Baxley won his three-way Republican primary by just 633 votes. He faced no opposition in the general election. In 2019, Baxley sponsored legislation that would require public schools to teach skepticism about evolution and about climate change. In May 2019, Baxley was reported to use the Replacement theory in relation to the abortion debate in