Claude Pepper Democratic Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Republican A special election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 18th congressional district was held on August 29, 1989.

Ros-Lehtinen won a competitive campaign to flip the seat, and became the first Cuban American to serve in Congress.

United States Congressman Claude Pepper died in office from stomach cancer on May 30, 1989, after serving in the House for over a quarter century, opening up a special election to fill his seat.

[3] Florida Governor Bob Martinez announced the special election schedule the day after Pepper's burial.

[5] Challengers other than Ros-Lehtinen included: Carlos Perez, a business owner who had been highlighted in Ronald Reagan's State of the Union address; David Fleischer, an insurance broker who decided to run after Atwater's comments; and John Stembridge, a furniture store owner who claimed that Pepper "was like an adopted father to me and I felt like he was personally grooming me to take his place".

[8][5] In a first-round upset, Gerald Richman, the former President of the Florida Bar, beat Kennedy by 146 votes.

[9] Jo Ann Pepper, Marvin Dunn, and Sonny Wright, who split the African American neighborhoods in the district, all endorsed Kennedy.

[3] National Republicans came to support Ros-Lehtinen, including President George H. W. Bush who hosted a fundraiser for her campaign and appeared jointly with her.