Hetherington s use of the phrase lifelong Republican resulted in a $200 fine from the Florida Elections Commission.
Hetherington, who has again filed to run for the same seat in 2022, partnered with the Institute for Free Speech to file a federal lawsuit Thursday against the state over the fine and the prohibition on candidates for nonpartisan offices telling voters their party affiliation. Fining a candidate for telling voters their party affiliation is a clear violation of the First Amendment, Institute for Free Speech attorney Owen Yeates said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. Florida’s law bans speech that is important to voters, and the candidates appealing to them, at precisely the time it is most relevant.