Members of the Florida House of Representatives are elected to two-year terms and paid $29,697 annually. The primary election is on Aug. 20.
District 56 Republicans – Brad Yeager
Incumbent Brad Yeager, 48, faces challenger Kirk Phillips in this Republican primary for District 56, which includes coastal Pasco County, west of Little Road up to Hudson. Phillips has a good grasp of the issues for a first-time candidate, but Yeager has served the constituents of the district well during his two years in the office and remains the best choice for Republicans.
Yeager was first elected two years ago on a conservative pro-business platform. The vehicle auctions company general manager ran with the support of much of the local Republican establishment, including Sheriff Chris Nocco , former state Senate President Wilton Simpson, who is now the state’s agriculture commissioner, and the former speaker of the state house, Chris Sprowls, who is also Yeager’s brother-in-law. Yeager favors low taxes and says he is “100% pro life.”
Brad Yeager is married to Lisa Yeager, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed to fill the Pasco County Commission seat vacated with the death of Gary Bradford on April 21.
Phillips, 57, is retired from the U.S. Air Force and a corporate career and has a master’s degree in computer resources from Webster University. If elected, the first-time political candidate would champion insurance reform, education optimization and infrastructure resiliency. Phillips is personable and communicates well, but we couldn’t find a compelling reason to recommend that west Pasco Republicans vote against an incumbent who already has experience in the job.
The winner in the Republican-heavy district will face Democrat William Pura in the November general election.
The Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board recommends Brad Yeager in the Republican primary for State Representative, District 56.
District 65 Democrats — Ashley Brundage
Democrats have two sharp, energetic candidates running to challenge the Republican incumbent, Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman, for this South Tampa House seat. While they largely agree on the issues, Ashley Brundage seems better positioned to compete in November.
Brundage, 44, is owner and chief executive of Empowering Differences, a Tampa-based consulting firm that offers leadership training. A first-time candidate, Brundage said she is running because the Republican supermajority in the Legislature “has not served all 22 million Floridians very well.”
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Brundage wants to bring more competitive pricing to the property insurance market, in part by holding the legal industry more accountable for the number of lawsuits brought to court. She vows to promote small business and entrepreneurs, and to be “a huge advocate” for the constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights on Florida’s November ballot. She wants to review corporate tax breaks, calling it a pocketbook issue for working Floridians. Brundage also wants to end the state’s culture wars, calling them socially divisive and a danger to tourism and corporate relocations to the state.
Nathan Albert Kuipers, 36, is a music educator and Democratic activist. He wants the state to declare a housing emergency to create more affordable living options. He supports abortion rights, more protections for consumers in the property insurance market and increased funding for public schools and teachers. A former field organizer for voting rights groups, Kuipers said Florida needs “a new kind of Democrat” who can build strong community relationships across demographic lines. He seems genuinely committed to making Florida better and cooling the partisan climate.
Brundage, though, has a broader message and offers more detailed solutions for addressing the state’s high cost of living. She is personable, reasonable and positive, and her ability to connect would make her an effective legislator in Tallahassee. She also knows the district well, and her growing range of endorsements, including from Equality Florida and Ruth’s List, will help get her message out. The Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board recommends Ashley Brundage in the Democratic primary for State Representative, District 65.
District 67 Republicans — Ronrico “Rico” Smith
Republican voters have two weak choices in this primary to challenge the incumbent, House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, in November. But Ronrico “Rico” Smith has at least gone through the motions of running a campaign.
Smith, a 27-year-old health care consultant, offers a platform straight from the Republican playbook. He vows to address inflation, housing and infrastructure, though exactly how is unclear. On education, he supports workforce programs and promises to advance “parental rights” and “unbiased learning,” both buzzwords for conservatives who want to rewrite history and hassle the public school system. In an interview with the Times, Smith dodged questions about abortion and offered strange ideas for tackling property insurance and mass transportation. He is supported by Florida’s Republican establishment and has raised the most money in this primary.
Lisette Bonano, 65, a retired U.S. Army officer, is a states’ rights advocate who wants to “stop federal overreach” and lists immigration, gun rights and vaccine mandates as among her key concerns. On abortion, Bonano told the Times she supports “life in the womb.” Her campaign website includes posts ridiculing diversity and inclusion programs and lauding former President Donald Trump. If she has a relevant agenda to advance for the residents of this district, which includes New Tampa and the University of South Florida area, we’ve yet to hear it.
We give the nod to Smith for being marginally more informed. His civic experience gives him a rich perspective if he chooses to be an independent voice in Tallahassee. The Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board recommends Ronrico “Rico” Smith in the Republican primary for State Representative, District 67.
Before making a recommendation, the Times Editorial Board asks candidates to fill out questionnaires and sit for an interview. The process can also include running criminal and civil background checks, interviewing candidates’ colleagues and employers, reviewing voting records and financial disclosures and examining their past and current positions on relevant issues.
Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Editor of Editorials Graham Brink, Sebastian Dortch, John Hill and Chairman and CEO Conan Gallaty.