Anthony Sabatini

Sabatini defeated Monica Wofford and Shannon Elswick, to win the August 28, 2018 Republican primary, winning 46.7% of the vote.[8] In the November 6, 2018 general election, Sabatini defeated Democrat Cynthia Brown, taking 56.48% of the vote.[9]

In 2019, Sabatini proposed amendments to protect Gainesville's landmark restaurant The Swamp from demolition.[10][11] The restaurant was temporarily closed, but not demolished, and eventually returned.[12]

On January 13, 2020, Sabatini introduced HB 1365, which would have made it a felony for doctors to provide hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery for transgender minors.[13]

In 2020, Sabatini introduced bills allowing Floridians with valid concealed carry licensed to carry firearms on public colleges and universities.[14][15][16]

Under the slogan "Eight is enough", Sabatini has sponsored legislation to enshrine eight-year term limits for Florida's school boards.[17][18][19][20]

Sabatini has introduced legislation to ban red light cameras in Florida.[21][22][23]

On March 8, 2021, Sabatini announced that he would challenge incumbent Republican Representative Daniel Webster for Florida's 11th congressional district. He later suggested he might not wind up running against Webster due to redistricting.[24] On June 7, 2021, he announced he would challenge incumbent Democratic Representative Stephanie Murphy for Florida's 7th congressional district due to redistricting.[25]

Sabatini has been one of the strongest supporters of the right to keep and bear arms, the Second Amendment, and Constitutional carry (also known as "permitless carry") in Florida since first being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. Sabatini has stated,

If somebody wants to carry a firearm for their own self-defense, they shouldn't have to beg government permission and pay money for the exercise of their fundamental God-given right[26]

Sabatini has attempted to have legislation enacted for three consecutive years—in 2020, 2021 and most recently in 2022—though the legislation has lacked support from other Republicans[27] up until April 2022. Sabatini's legislation has enjoyed the endorsement of the Governor of Florida however, Ron DeSantis.[28] Sabatini has been highly critical of other Republican representatives that have been "A-rated" by the NRA, but that have not up until recently expressed support for Sabatini's constitutional carry legislation. Ron DeSantis called for a special legislative session[29] to take place the first week of April 2022, and has specifically mentioned that he would like to see support from Republicans for constitutional carry, and that if it were to reach his desk, that he would sign the legislation into law.[28]

On April 14, 2022, CBS Miami[30] reported that, Sabatini is still pushing for Constitutional carry in 2022 in Florida, this time as part of a special legislative session being held. CBS Miami reported, "[Sabatini] is trying to use a process of polling lawmakers to force a special session on the issue. Under state law, Sabatini would have to get 20 percent of the Legislature, or 32 members, to file letters of support for a special session with the Department of State. If the 20 percent mark is reached, the department would have seven days to poll lawmakers."[30] CBS Miami went on to report that:

A session would be held if it is supported by three-fifths of the House and three-fifths of the Senate.

Sabatini is the second Republican lawmaker trying to use the process to go around leaders to spur a special session. Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes, St. Petersburg, has been awaiting an announcement from the Department of State on his request for lawmakers to be polled about a special session on property insurance. Brandes dropped off more than the required 32 letters of support on Monday.

Lawmakers will begin a special session Tuesday on congressional redistricting, but the insurance and gun issues are not included.[30]

In response to the protests following the murder of George Floyd, Sabatini posted a tweet that suggested protesters illegally entering businesses would be met with an AR-15 and included an image of the gun, which also appeared with Sabatini on his Facebook page with the caption "Don't Tread on Me".[31] This was condemned for being "clearly inflammatory" and "inciting violence" by Democratic Florida State Representative Cindy Polo.[32] Nikki Fried, Florida Agriculture Commissioner, called for Sabatini to be reprimanded. House Speaker José Oliva found no "direct or preemptive threat" in Sabatini's comments and did not take punitive actions.[33] Sabatini also drew criticism from Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones for referring to Black Lives Matter protesters in Minneapolis as "disgusting, lawless thugs" in a tweet calling for their arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment.[34]

Sabatini has made multiple critical statements of “cancel culture”, tweeting that, "If Socrates was out philosophizing in American society today, he would be cancelled real quick".[35] He has called for repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, arguing that it allows online platforms to remove conservative perspectives.[36]

In July 2020, a Florida resident filed an ethics complaint against Sabatini in connection with his involvement in several mask mandate lawsuits.[37] The complaint was in response to a press release about the lawsuit that printed Sabatini's official House email address as the press contact and alleged that this violates a Florida State Statute about misuse of public position.[37] The complaint also accused him of violating a similar requirement specified under House rules.[37] Sabatini dismissed the complaints as a left-wing plot against him by "sick and disturbed people."[38] Sabatini also tweeted what appeared to be a booking photo of the complainant taken during a past arrest for driving under the influence.[38]

Sabatini has filed at least 14 lawsuits during the COVID-19 pandemic challenging local ordinances requiring the use of face coverings.[39] On September 2, 2020, he received his sixth loss from the filed suits that have so far been heard. [40]

Sabatini has proposed renaming the Florida section of U.S. Route 27 the "President Donald J. Trump Highway".[41] During Trump's reelection bid announcement in Orlando on June 18, 2019, a rally goer attacked an Orlando Sentinel reporter filming the event. The reporter tweeted the encounter, to which Sabatini replied "MAGA". Sabatini said that he routinely replies "MAGA" to Sentinel reporting and wanted to counter what he considered "ridiculous" coverage of the rally.[42]

Sabatini supported Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, calling for audits of the election results in Hillsborough County, Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Orange County.[43]

Sabatini criticized President Joe Biden's pledge to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court following Justice Stephen Breyer's announcement that he would retire, tweeting, "Biden MUST be impeached for his anti-white racist exclusion of any white nominee to the Supreme Court".[44][45]