Six Republicans contend for chance to take open seat in Florida House District 48
For the first time since 2016, no incumbent is running in the Florida House district that includes Winter Haven. The open seat for District 48 has attracted the densest field of candidates seen recently in a Polk County legislative election.
Six Republicans are squaring off in the primary: Jon Albert of Frostproof; Jerry Carter, Chad Davis and Debbie Owens, all of Winter Haven; Amilee Stuckey of Lake Wales; and Benny Valentin of Poinciana.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat John Hill of Poinciana in the November general election. The primary winner need not obtain a majority of the votes cast.
The seat is open because Rep. Sam Killebrew, R-Winter Haven, faces term limits after serving for eight years.
District 48 encompasses much of southeast Polk County, including Winter Haven, Lake Wales and Frostproof.
Mail ballots have already been sent to voters, and early voting begins Aug. 10. Traditional precinct voting will take place Aug. 20. Only registered Republicans may vote in the primary.
In their words: Candidates for Florida House District 48 answer The Ledger's questions
Here is an overview of the candidates:
Jon Albert
Albert, 44, is mayor of Frostproof and a member of its City Commission since 2016. A graduate of Fort Meade High School, he attended Polk State College before joining the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a campaign news release said.
While on active duty, Albert earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political studies, followed by a master’s in business administration, from Chaminade University of Honolulu. He has worked as a plant manager and general manger in manufacturing facilities, the release said. A state financial disclosure listed $1.1 million in assets for ILove Productions LLC, a photography business.
The Ledger was unable to schedule an interview with Albert, despite multiple attempts. He did not respond to a questionnaire sent to all candidates in the race.
On his campaign website and in advertising, Albert has emphasized national political issues, particularly illegal immigration, and he promises that he would give sheriffs the authority to enforce immigration laws. His website states that he would “hold politicians accountable for skyrocketing insurance premiums,” without offering details.
Albert also stresses parental rights, election integrity and fostering a “culture of life.” He pledges to cut taxes, “especially for seniors, working families and veterans,” and to protect environmentally sensitive lands.
In a response to a questionnaire from the Polk County Republican Party, Albert wrote that he supports school choice and the expansion of charter schools. He said that he would seek state funding for local infrastructure projects and promote “innovative solutions to address traffic congestion and urban development.”
Albert has benefited from campaign mailers paid for by the Make America Great Again political action committee, based in Venice and tied to Republican consultant Anthony Pedicini. The PAC has mailed at least two flyers to voters in the district.
One of those mailers bears a photo of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and says that Albert would support his plans “to make Florida the last place illegal aliens want to come.” Another claims that Albert would sue the Biden Administration “so Florida can be reimbursed for tax dollars spent on costs associated with the Biden Border invasion.”
Florida legislators do not have the authority to sue the federal government.
Three other candidates — Carter, Davis and Valentin — signed a petition asking the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office for the 10th Judicial Circuit to investigate Albert’s campaign finances. The petition suggests that Albert violated a state law requiring candidates to have funds in their account to cover the costs of any campaign spending.
Albert sent mailers labeled as paid for by his campaign before he deposited a $50,000 donation to his account on July 13. He told The Ledger in an email that he had done nothing illegal.
As of Monday, Albert had reported $61,185 in campaign contributions. That includes the $50,000 that he donated to his own campaign. Other donors include Ben Hill Griffin Inc., Frostproof Vice Mayor Austin Gravley and Babson Park lawyer Kent Lilly.
At a glance: Polk County School Board elections: See our stories, read their answers
Jerry Carter
Carter, a Winter Haven native, graduated from Winter Haven High School, Polk Community College (now Polk State) and Florida State University, according to his campaign website. He and his wife, Becky, have four adult children and six grandchildren.
Carter, 64, is an executive in his family's furniture business and is a licensed real estate broker, he said in a news release. He held a seat on the Polk County Commission in the 1990s and served as chairman of the Polk County Republican Executive Committee from 1998 to 2002. He ran unsuccessfully for the Florida House in 2002.
Carter did not respond to a voicemail and email seeking an interview. He did not provide answers to a candidate questionnaire.
On his campaign website, Carter emphasizes his Christian faith and says that he will “defend Floridians from religious persecution and protect our constitutional rights.” He says that he is committed to protecting “the unborn.”
He has been an elder at Grace Lutheran Church for 30 years, his website says.
Carter states that he “sees through the dangerous and radical agenda of the liberal left and is determined to root out wokeness from our schools, courts and government agencies.”
The campaign website lists six issues of concern to Carter: parental choice, immigration, the Second Amendment, protecting life, taxes and law enforcement.
“You can count on Jerry Carter to fight for commonsense immigration policies like E-verify, deporting criminal illegal aliens, and relocating undocumented migrants to sanctuary cities that have the resources and bandwidth to meet their needs,” the site states.
Carter defines life as beginning at conception.
“While Florida has made great progress in protecting unborn babies and shifting the culture towards life, there is more work to be done to support mothers, encourage adoption, and allow Floridians of all ages to reach their maximum God-given potential,” the website says.
As of Monday, Carter had reported $42,025 in campaign contributions, including a $10,000 loan from himself. His donors include former state Sen. J.D. Alexander, Cassidy Holdings Group and the Winter Haven 9-12 Project.
Chad Davis
Davis, 42, is a staff attorney for Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid. He served as senior legislative assistant to former Florida Sen. Kelli Stargel from 2014 to 2022.
A native Floridian and fourth-generation Winter Haven resident, Davis holds a master's of public policy and a law degree from Pepperdine University in California. He is a past president of the Republican Club of Lakeland and a founding board member of the Chesterton Academy of Orlando, a private, classical Christian school.
Davis said his legislative experience is a major advantage because the limit of serving four terms allows little time for House members to absorb all of the details the position entails.
“Having worked as a legislative aide for Kelli Stargel for eight years, I really saw the kind of work that goes into it,” Davis said. “I did a lot of that work myself to support her and learned the process.”
He added: “I think I bring that experience and that understanding of the job to begin from day one. It will not take me years of experience to try to learn the job, because I already come with that background.”
Davis said that some fellow candidates do not seem to understand the limited purview of the Florida Legislature.
“They tend to focus on a lot of the national issues,” Davis said. “I keep seeing issues coming up in the mailers and advertising about the border and Biden and all the federal stuff that we see on the news — which I probably share a lot of their views and opinions — but those really do not affect much of what goes on in Tallahassee.”
Most of the legislation considered in Tallahassee is not partisan or divisive, Davis said.
“There are definitely factions, but it's not always party-based,” he said. “And the controversial stuff that makes the news is very little of what they actually do. Really, most of the stuff that impacts us here back at home, it's just the government doing its government functions efficiently, and making sure that tax dollars are being spent appropriately.”
Davis said he would focus largely on economic issues. He mentioned workforce development, property taxes and insurance rates. He credited the Legislature with taking “some really strong measures” to reduce insurance-related lawsuits, and he said the state is starting to see the positive effects.
“We have a long way to go,” Davis said. “But a lot of the things that impact insurance rates are out of our control, when you look at supply chain and trying to find workers to help prepare. So we're going to need some alternative ways to help homeowners, which may include some temporary relief on their property taxes.”
Betsy Cleveland Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce selects Polk County native as next leader
On education, Davis said he thinks the Legislature should reconsider a law scheduled to take effect next year that will push back school start times. He said he understands the concerns about early start times and children’s need for sleep but suggested the Legislature take steps to alleviate the impact of later school schedules.
Davis said he would draw upon his legislative experience to pursue state funding for the infrastructure needed to deal with Polk County’s surging population growth.
Though he has connections with past and current legislators, Davis said he shares concerns of local officials about laws that infringe on “home rule,” the ability of city and county governments to control local activities. The Legislature in recent years has passed laws preempting local regulations on such issues as heat protections for workers, electric vehicle charging stations and short-term rentals (though Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the latter).
While the state has a responsibility over school districts and regional issues, Davis said, “I think some of the preemptions have been done either with bad intentions, maybe to try to hurt a particular municipality back at home, where they're from … or I think oftentimes, most of the time, there are unintended consequences, but they were foreseeable.”
As of Monday, Davis had reported about $60,600 in campaign contributions. His donors include Polk County Clerk of Courts Stacy Butterfield, retired State Attorney Jerry Hill, former Polk Schools lobbyist Wendy Dodge and Stargel.
Debbie Owens
Owens, 64, is a graduate of Winter Haven High School and a retired commercial airline captain who spent most of her career with Delta Airlines. She describes herself as a constitutional conservative.
“Basically, I perceive our individual rights as being violated, and I want to increase individual rights as well as state rights,” Owens said of her reasons for deciding to run.
She cited government actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying Americans were tracked and monitored in what she considered a violation of medical privacy laws. She also criticized government officials for dictating to doctors what medical treatments could be used for COVID.
If elected, Owens said she would push back against “federal government overreach.”
“That would be the first priority,” she said. “We are a sovereign state. This is the way we're set up under the Constitution. And states have a right to decide whether or not they're going to go with federal mandates, regardless of what it is.”
Owens said that she emphasized supporting parental rights.
“That child belongs to the parent, not to the federal government, not to the state – unless there's been some infraction where the child is now a ward of the state,” Owens said. “So parents should be at school board meetings, parents should be involved in in the community, understanding what's going on, and how their child's education is being put forth.”
Owens said she is also concerned about election security, having been a victim of identity theft. She would like to see a task force investigate the computer systems used by elections offices, and she favors hand counts of paper ballots in elections, though she said machines could be used to verify the results.
Addressing her concerns about the effect of inflation and rising insurance premiums on seniors, Owens questioned whether older residents should have to pay taxes used to support schools.
Owens suggested that the U.S. make gold and silver legal tender, in case other nations begin calling in the debt owed to them.
“I can tell you, I've met all of our candidates,” she said. “I like all of our candidates. They're all good people, but they're not talking the same issues that I'm talking. With all the experience that's in Tallahassee, I hear very little discussion on any of these issues, and I find them critical. And that's why I'm continuing to run, because I think these issues are that important.”
As of Monday, Owens had reported $22,545 in campaign contributions, all but $545 of it coming from herself. She received $50 from the Winter Haven 9-12 Project.
Amilee Stuckey
Stuckey, 59 and a Marine Corps veteran, grew up in Apopka and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida and a law degree from the University of Missouri. A lawyer based in Lake Wales, she has served since 2019 as Republican state committeewoman for Polk County and attended the recent Republic National Convention in Milwaukee as a delegate.
Stuckey, a mother of four, said she volunteers for service organizations, including the American Legion, and is a mentor for a veterans’ treatment court.
“It’s my background and my experience that sets me apart from the others,” Stuckey said. “I'm an attorney. I'm a mother. I've built a business, I know how to make payroll. And not every candidate can say that they have that breadth of experience.”
Stuckey said that her military background equips her to build rapport with others in the Florida Legislature.
“And the one thing I would tell my constituents is that I am going to go there and serve for them,” she said. “Everything I do will be for the benefit of the people in Polk County and in my district in particular. And I will not promise that I'm going to go to Tallahassee and accomplish A, B or C. But what I will promise is that every vote that I make, and every decision I make, will be with the best interest of Polk County in mind and with the Constitution in mind.”
Asked about her main priorities, Stuckey mentioned the southern border crisis, the economy and Polk County’s population growth. She talked of the need for new schools, roads, hospitals and other services.
“When I go to Tallahassee, I will be looking to the entirety of Polk County, but in particular my district, and so I want to make sure that we can get funds and bring them back to get the projects done that we need to get done,” she said.
While the federal government has authority over immigration issues, Stuckey said states also have a role. She praises Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for such actions as arranging to fly migrants to Massachusetts in 2022.
“The federal government is sometimes exceeding their power,” Stuckey said. “Their main goal is to keep us safe, which they're not doing. So that means the states need to step up and do everything that they can do to protect their citizens. And I think Governor DeSantis has done that. So my job is to support him in whatever he wants to do, and try to help draft legislation that protects the safety, the economy and the livelihoods of the people who live in Florida from this mass invasion.”
Asked about rising property insurance rates, Stuckey said she’s sure more can be done to address the issue.
“I don't know what the exact answer is, but I'm willing to look for it,” she said. “And I want to get up to Tallahassee, talk to others, and I know that there are people that are more familiar and more well-versed in how it all works. And I think if we put our heads together, we're going to be able to come up with fixes.”
As of Monday, Stuckey had reported about $32,900 in campaign contributions. Her donors include Kat Gates-Skipper, an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention; Jill Sessions, treasurer of the Polk County Republican Party; and Tommy Oakley, president of Oakley Transport.
Benny Valentin
Valentin grew up in Puerto Rico before moving to Long Island, New York, according to his campaign website. He is the married father of two girls.
Valentin, 48, is a clinical psychologist, entrepreneur, adjunct professor and a chaplain with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. He says that he has served as director of operations for Fortune 500 companies and has 18 years of executive management experience.
A photo on his website shows Valentin standing in a pulpit, and he reports opening Logos Christian University, a private Christian school, with his wife, Enny.
In a previous interview, Valentin said he initially became interested in politics out of concerns over what he considers unfair practices by large homeowners’ associations in the Poinciana area. The Ledger was unable to schedule a recent interview with Valentin, despite multiple attempts.
Valentin ran unsuccessfully ran for the Florida House in 2016 as a Democrat and in 2020 as a Republican.
Valentin’s campaign website includes a list of “foundations,” such as individual rights, limited government and “Equality of opportunity — not equality of outcomes.” He pledges to defend the Second Amendment and says he would push for reform of homeowners’ associations.
As of Monday, Valentin had reported about $4,650 in campaign contributions, including $2,755 from himself.
Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Six Republicans seek open seat in Winter Haven's Fla. House district
