The confluence of term limits and redistricting contributed to significant turnover in the Florida Legislature, which welcomed 59 new lawmakers — including members who shifted chambers. Freshmen members previously elected in special elections were not included. Democrats picked up five seats in the House, putting an end to Republicans’ veto-proof two-thirds majority, and gained two seats in the Senate, marking their first net gain in that chamber in 30 years. The GOP has a 76-44 edge in the House and a 26-14 advantage in the Senate.
Net worth figures were obtained from the 2011 financial disclosure statements required of all candidates. The reports include all assets individually valued at more than $1,000, including household goods and personal effects; any liabilities in excess of $1,000; all primary and secondary sources and amounts of income exceeding $1,000; and interests in specified businesses. Net worth is computed by subtracting reported liabilities from reported assets.
Senate
Five freshman Democrats and 10 Republicans were elected to the 40-member state Senate.
 Joseph Abruzzo |
Joseph Abruzzo (D), 32, government relations and public policy consultant, Weiss, Handler & Cornwell
District 25 — part of Palm Beach County
Net Worth: $142,498
Notable: Abruzzo served two terms in the Florida House before moving to the Senate.
 Aaron Bean |
Aaron Bean (R), 45, relationship development officer, Shands Jacksonville
District 4 — Nassau and part of Duval County
Net Worth: $544,310
Notable: Bean served eight years in the Florida House, including a term as elected chairman of the Duval County Legislative Delegation in 2008. He also previously served as a Fernandina Beach city commissioner and as the city’s mayor.
 Rob Bradley |
Rob Bradley (R), 42, attorney
District 7 — Alachua, Bradford and Clay counties
Net Worth: $1.4 million
Notable: A former criminal prosecutor, Bradley also serves on the boards of Northeast Florida Community Hospice and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and received a gubernatorial appointment to the board of trustees of St. Johns River State College.
 Jeff Brandes |
Jeff Brandes (R), 36, real estate
District 22 — parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties
Net Worth: $10.35 million
Notable: Brandes, an Iraqi war veteran, served one term in the Florida House.
 Dwight Bullard |
Dwight Bullard (D), 35, teacher
District 39 — Hendry, Monroe and parts of Collier and Miami-Dade counties
Net Worth: $25,500
Notable: Bullard served two terms in the House.
 Jeff Clemens |
Jeff Clemens (D), 42, energy contractor
District 27 — part of Palm Beach County
Net Worth: $26,700
Notable: Clemens moves to the Senate after one term in the House.
 Bill Galvano |
Bill Galvano (R), 46, attorney
District 26 — DeSoto, Glades and Hardee counties and parts of Charlotte, Highlands, Hillsborough and Manatee counties
Net Worth: $1.5 million
Notable: Galvano served in the House from 2002-10.
Next page, meet more new senators.
Senate (continued)
 Denise Grimsley |
Denise Grimsley (R), 53, registered nurse/citrus grower
District 21 — Okeechobee County and parts of Highlands, Martin, Osceola, Polk and St. Lucie counties
Net Worth: $585,023
Notable: Grimsley served in the Florida House from 2004-12. During the last legislative session, she chaired the House Appropriations Committee, the first woman to serve in that position.
 Dorothy Hukill |
Dorothy Hukill (R), 66, attorney
District 8 — parts of Lake, Marion and Volusia counties
Net Worth: $54,883
Notable: Hukill served in the Florida House from 2004-12 and was mayor of Port Orange from 2000-04.
 Tom Lee |
Tom Lee (R), 50, vice president, director, Sabal Homes of Florida
District 24 — part of Hillsborough County
Net Worth: $3.17 million
Notable: Lee returns after a six-year hiatus.
 John Legg |
John Legg (R), 37, administrator/teacher
District 17 — parts of Hillsborough and Pasco counties
Net Worth: $89,912
Notable: Legg served in the Florida House from 2004-12 and was deputy majority whip from 2006-08.
 Wilton Simpson |
Wilton Simpson (R), 46, egg farmer and president, Simpson Environmental Services
District 18 — Hernando County and parts of Pasco and Sumter counties
Net Worth: $12.3 million
Notable: Simpson, a political novice who owns an egg farm and asbestos removal and construction company, ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.
 Darren Soto |
Darren Soto (D), 34, attorney
District 14 — parts of Orange, Osceola and Polk counties
Net Worth: (-$75,142)
Notable: Soto moves over from the House, where he had served since 2007.
 Kelli Stargel |
Kelli Stargel (R), 46, investment property manager
District 15 — parts of Orange, Osceola and Polk counties
Net Worth: $99,182
Notable: Stargel served two consecutive terms in the Florida House, where she chaired the K-20 Innovation Subcommittee.
 Geraldine Thompson |
Geraldine Thompson (D), 64, museum founder and retired college administrator
District 12 — part of Orange County
Net Worth: $658,323
Notable: Thompson served in the House for three consecutive terms and as Democratic Leader pro tempore from 2008-10.
Next page, meet new members of Florida's House.
House
The 120-member Florida House has 44 new members — 24 Democrats and 20 Republicans.
 Bruce Antone |
Bruce Antone (D), 52, consultant
District 46 — part of Orange County
Net Worth: $150,000
Notable: Antone served in the House from 2002-06.
 Halsey Beshears |
Halsey Beshears (R), 41, CFO, Simpson Nurseries; president, Total Landscape Supply
District 7 — Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla counties and part of Leon County
Net Worth: $619,765
Notable: Beshears was president of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association from 2011-12.
 Randolph Bracy III |
Randolph Bracy III (D), 35, director of business development, Workforce Advantage Academy, an Orange County charter school
District 45 — part of Orange County
Net Worth: $2,573
Notable: Bracy got his professional start working as a campaign strategist and political adviser to former Orange County Commissioner Homer Hartage, Orange County Commissioner Bill Segal, state Sen. Gary Siplin and U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.
 Mike Clelland |
Mike Clelland (D), 49, lawyer/retired firefighter
District 29 — part of Seminole County
Net Worth: $203,000
Notable: Clelland pulled off the biggest upset in Florida last November, when he defeated Rep. Chris Dorworth (R-Lake Mary), who was slated to become House Speaker for the 2015-16 legislative sessions. Clelland won by 146 votes.
 Neil Combee |
Neil Combee (R), 53, rancher and real estate and government affairs consultant, Republic Services Florida, a waste management company
District 39 — parts of Osceola and Polk counties
Net Worth: $517,674
Notable: Combee served 16 years as a Polk County commissioner and was on the governing board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District for seven years.
 Travis Cummings |
Travis Cummings (R), 40, owner/president of an employee benefits consulting firm
District 18 — parts of Clay County
Net Worth: $604,642
Notable: The former Clay County commissioner ran unopposed.
 Mark Danish |
Mark Danish (D), 58, teacher
District 63 — part of Hillsborough County
Net Worth: $239,254
Notable: Danish beat incumbent Republican Rep. Shawn Harrison of Tampa.
 Karen Castor Dentel |
Karen Castor Dentel (D), 44, teacher
District 30 — parts of Orange and Seminole counties
Net Worth: $265,893
Notable: Dentel, who is the sister of Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor and daughter of former USF President Betty Castor, beat incumbent Rep. Scott Plakon (R) in one of the biggest spending House races in the state.
 Manny Diaz Jr. |
Manny Diaz Jr. (R), 39, assistant principal
District 103 — parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties
Net Worth: (-$20,800)
Notable: A native of Hialeah, Diaz is no relation to the former Miami mayor who shares his name.
Next page, meet more new members of Florida's House.
House (continued)
 Dwight Dudley |
Dwight Dudley (D), 58, criminal defense lawyer at his own law firm
District 68 — part of Pinellas County
Net Worth: $417,977
Notable: Dudley once worked as a legislative aide and analyst in the Florida House.
 Dane Eagle |
Dane Eagle (R), 29, real estate broker
District 77 — part of Lee County
Net Worth: $35,230
Notable: At age 24, Eagle was appointed chief of staff for former Gov. Charlie Crist, the youngest in Florida history.
 Katie Edwards |
Katie Edwards (D), 31, president, Arrow E Consulting
District 98 — part of Broward County
Net Worth: (-$111,574)
Notable: Edwards is a former executive director of the Dade County Farm Bureau and a member of the planning and zoning board in Plantation.
 Mike Fasano |
Mike Fasano (R), 54, associate vice president for investments, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter/Investments
District 36 — part of Pasco County
Net Worth: $1.26 million
Notable: Fasano, who moves over from the Senate, previously served in the House from 1994-02.
 Heather Dawes Fitzenhagen |
Heather Dawes Fitzenhagen (R), 52, marketing director, Condo & HOA Law Group
District 78 — part of Lee County
Net Worth: $558,551
Notable: Fitzenhagen also works as a mediator/lawyer at Resolution Strategies and was a vice president at AIG Advisor Group.
 Dave Hood |
Dave Hood (R), 58, attorney
District 25 — part of Volusia County
Net Worth: (-$246,500)
Notable: Hood was mayor of Ormond Beach from 1994-99 and was a city commissioner from 1992-94.
 Travis Hutson |
Travis Hutson (R), 28, Realtor
District 24 — Flagler County and parts of St. Johns and Volusia counties
Net Worth: $6.7 million
Notable: Hutson worked for his family’s real estate investment business, Hutson Cos., and served on the finance team of a number of notable Republicans, including Gov. Mitt Romney, Gov. Rick Scott, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Attorney General Pam Bondi and others.
 Shevrin Jones |
Shevrin Jones (D), 29, vice president of community affairs, McKinley-Alston Financial
District 101 — part of Broward County
Net Worth: $150,000
Notable: Jones, who was elected without opposition, is co-founder of a youth leadership organization called L.E.A.D., Leaders by Empowerment — Activist by Development.
 Dave Kerner |
Dave Kerner (D), 29, attorney
District 87 — part of Palm Beach County
Net Worth: (-$54,612)
Notable: Kerner led a statewide class-action lawsuit against 26 cities and a camera company that helped recover millions of dollars in damages from illegal use of red light cameras.
Next page, meet more new members of Florida's House.
House (continued)
 Mike La Rosa |
Mike La Rosa (R), 30, real estate developer
District 42 — parts of Osceola and Polk counties
Net Worth: $579,698
Notable: La Rosa was a replacement candidate for Republican Rep. Mike Horner, who withdrew from the race last September after his name surfaced on a client list at an Orlando brothel.
 Larry Lee Jr. |
Larry Lee Jr. (D), 59, owner, State Farm insurance agency in Fort Pierce; co-owner, WFLM 104.7 FM and WIRA 1400 AM radio stations
District 84 — part of St. Lucie County
Net Worth: $2.5 million
Notable: Lee played briefly in the NFL in 1976 after graduating from Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. He signed with the Denver Broncos but was cut in preseason.
 MaryLynn Magar |
MaryLynn Magar (R), 49, vice president, HeartCare Imaging
District 82 — parts of Martin and Palm Beach counties
Net Worth: $1.9 million
Notable: Magar has been a local Republican executive committee member for 20 years.
 Kionne McGhee |
Kionne McGhee (D), 35, lawyer/professor/motivational speaker
District 117 — part of Miami-Dade County
Net Worth: (-$49,760)
Notable: McGhee was raised in public housing. In school, he was labeled emotionally handicapped and learning disabled and was suspended more than 20 times. His father and brother were murdered.
 Jared Moskowitz |
Jared Moskowitz (D), 32, general counsel, AshBritt Environmental
District 97 — part of Broward County
Net Worth: $299,641
Notable: In 2006, as a second-year law student, Moskowitz was elected to the Parkland city commission, making him one ofo the youngest elected officials in the state at that time.
 Kathleen Peters |
Kathleen Peters (R), 51, vice president of public affairs, Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce
District 69 — part of Pinellas County
Net Worth: $244,994
Notable: Peters served since 2008 on the South Pasadena City Commission and recently was mayor, a commission-appointed position.
 Cary Pigman |
Cary Pigman (R), 54, emergency room doctor
District 55 — Glades, Highlands, Okeechobee counties and part of St. Lucie County
Net Worth: $529,566
Notable: In 2011, Pigman was deployed for six months in northern Iraq, where he served as an emergency medicine physician at Forward Operating Base Diamondback in Mosul and then at Contingency Operating Site Warrior in Kirkuk. He and his wife, an emergency room nurse, raise sheep and chickens and maintain a vineyard on their small farm.
 Bobby Powell Jr |
Bobby Powell Jr. (D), 31, former legislative aide
District 88 — part of Palm Beach County
Net Worth: $11,482
Notable: Powell was a legislative assistant for state Rep. Mack Bernard from 2009-12. Prior to that, he was a planner for West Palm Beach.
 Sharon Pritchett |
Sharon Pritchett (D), 60, retired investigator, Miami-Dade public defender’s office
District 102 — parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties
Net Worth: $170,000
Notable: Pritchett is a former Miami Gardens councilwoman and narrowly lost a bid for a House seat in a special election in 2011.
Next page, meet more new members of Florida's House.
House (continued)
 Jake Raburn |
Jake Raburn (R), 27, marketing director, Hinton Farms Produce
District 57 — part of Hillsborough County
Net Worth: (-$51,564)
Notable: After graduating from the University of Florida, Raburn worked for two years as a marketing specialist at the Florida Department of Citrus before joining his wife’s family farming operation.
 Kevin Rader |
Kevin Rader (D), 44, insurance agent
District 81 — part of Palm Beach County
Net Worth: $913,975
Notable: Rader served in the House from 2008-10.
 Ricardo Rangel |
Ricardo Rangel (D), 35, business consultant
District 43 — part of Osceola County
Net Worth: (-$25,000)
Notable: Rangel, a 12-year Army veteran, is a former Osceola County organizer who helped organize Osceola and drum up support in the Puerto Rican community for John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004.
 Holly Raschein |
Holly Raschein (R), 32, consultant/former senior legislative aide
District 120 — Monroe County and part of Miami-Dade County
Net Worth: $4,000
Notable: Raschein assumes the seat of her former boss, former House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders, who lost his bid for the Florida Senate in 2012.
 Dan Raulerson |
Dan Raulerson (R), 55, certified public accountant
District 58 — part of Hillsborough County
Net Worth: $1.2 million
Notable: Raulerson is a former Plant City commissioner and served two years as the mayor of Plant City until June, when he stepped down to focus on his House bid.
 David Richardson |
David Richardson (D), 55, accountant
District 113 — part of Miami-Dade County
Net Worth: $3.5 million
Notable: Richardson, who faced no opposition after winning his Democratic primary, is one of Florida’s first two openly gay state legislators, both elected in 2012.
 Ray Rodrigues |
Ray Rodrigues (R), 42, budget manager, Florida Gulf Coast University
District 76 — part of Lee County
Net Worth: $14,927
Notable: Rodrigues, who serves as vice chairman of the Lee County Republican Party, faced no challengers on the November general election ballot.
 Jose Javier Rodriguez |
Jose Javier Rodriguez (D), 34, attorney
District 112 — part of Miami-Dade County
Net Worth: (-$22,543)
Notable: Rodriguez, a Harvard Law School graduate who served in the Peace Corps in Senegal, defeated veteran Republican lawmaker Alex Diaz de la Portilla.
 David Santiago |
David Santiago (R), 41, financial adviser/Army veteran
District 27 — part of Volusia County
Net Worth: $92,724
Notable: Santiago served as a Deltona city commissioner from 2003-07.
 Joe Saunders |
Joe Saunders (D), 29, community organizer
District 49 — part of Orange County
Net Worth: $21,727
Notable: Saunders, a graduate of the University of Central Florida, is one of Florida’s first two openly gay state legislators, both elected in 2012. As a field director with Equality Florida, Saunders worked on the unsuccessful campaign to defeat Florida’s anti-gay “Marriage Protection Amendment” and more recently served as campaign manager for Equality is Gainesville’s Business, a successful campaign to defeat an anti-gay charter amendment in Gainesville.
Next page, meet more new members of Florida's House.
House (continued)
 Ross Spano |
Ross Spano (R), 46, attorney
District 59 — part of Hillsborough County
Net Worth: $731,368
Notable: Spano is a board member of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce and the Community Issues Council.
 Richard “Rick” Stark |
Richard “Rick” Stark (D), 60, owner, independent insurance agency Stark & Associates
District 104 — part of Broward County
Net Worth: $1.8 million
Notable: Stark lobbied for 12 years in Tallahassee for health reform and supports full implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Florida.
 Linda Stewart |
Linda Stewart (D), 64, former Orange County commissioner
District 47 — part of Orange County
Net Worth: $797,149
Notable: Stewart was Orange County commissioner from 2002-10 and was instrumental in bringing the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute to Medical City in Lake Nona.
 Charlie Stone |
Charlie Stone (R), 65, president and owner, Stone Petroleum Products
District 22 — Levy County and part of Marion County
Net Worth: $473,600
Notable: Stone served two terms on the Marion County Commission and ran unchallenged for the newly drawn 22nd district seat.
 Victor “Vic” Torres Jr. |
Victor “Vic” Torres Jr. (D), 65, retired detective, New York City Transit Police; retired part-time bus driver
District 48 — part of Orange County
Net Worth: (-$30,846)
Notable: The Bronx-born Torres is of Puerto Rican descent and campaigned for office with just $2,000 while driving a Lynx bus two days a week.
 Clovis Watson Jr. |
Clovis Watson Jr. (D), 53, retired Alachua city manager; retired police officer
District: District 20 — parts of Alachua and Marion counties
Net Worth: $1.3 million
Notable: During his tenure as Alachua city manager, Watson spearheaded and implemented Vision 2010 Plan, outlining the city’s future growth, guided the city to fiscal stability and AAA bond ratings and helped attract a number of Fortune 500 companies to the region.
 Carl “Z” Zimmerman |
Carl “Z” Zimmerman (D), 61, high school journalism teacher
District 65 — part of Pinellas County
Net Worth: $88,627
Notable: Zimmerman defeated Republican Rep. Peter Nehr in his third run against the incumbent lawmaker.