Times recommends: For a better Florida House

The Florida Legislature faces considerable challenges, including improving health care, transportation and education. Incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran of Land O'Lakes should have a strong Tampa Bay delegation to work with him on state and regional issues.

Ramon Gutierrez

District 35

Ramon Gutierrez is running a long-shot, low-budget campaign against the well-financed incumbent Blaise Ingoglia, who also is chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. But Gutierrez has a better feel for the economic hardships and other issues affecting residents in this Hernando County district.

Gutierrez, 64, is a real estate agent and former restaurant owner who is concerned about high rates for auto and property insurance. The Democrat supports Medicaid expansion, which Ingoglia opposes, that could provide health coverage to thousands of low-income residents. He is concerned about the overemphasis on the Florida Standards Assessments, and he wants to steer more public money to high-poverty, low-performing schools.

Ingoglia, 45, is a homebuilder who has served one term and worked on issues such as ensuring Hernando received its share of state education money allocated for smaller districts. He also sponsored legislation that allows insurers to sell limited coverage for sinkhole damage. But Ingoglia also voted for regulations that would have opened the door to fracking, and he supports both open-carry gun legislation and allowing guns on college campuses.

As the state Republican Party chairman, Ingoglia has an inherent conflict and no interest in building consensus across party lines. He has spent too much time on partisan politics within the House and on promoting the state party. Gutierrez, who twice ran for Hernando County Commission, could put his constituents' best interests ahead of party politics.

For Florida House District 35, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Ramon Gutierrez.

Amanda Murphy

District 36

Amanda Murphy understands how to be effective as a Democrat in the Republican-controlled House. The New Port Richey legislator continues to quietly work across party lines to influence public policy, and she deserves to be re-elected.

Murphy, 46, a financial adviser, has worked to crack down on human trafficking and advance mental health reforms that she wants to extend to Pasco County. She helped kill a move that would have disqualified voters for minor issues with their home addresses, and she helped Floridians with autism get an identification code on state identification cards and drivers' licenses.

First elected in a 2013 special election, Murphy wants to continue working on human trafficking and improving foster care. She wants to close the loophole that allows write-in candidates to close primary elections. And she wants to address issues affecting small businesses, such as high workers' compensation rates.

Amber Mariano, 20, is a University of Central Florida student who is passionate about public policy. The Hudson Republican is the daughter of Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and is knowledgeable about the issues. She wants to allow Bright Futures scholarship money to be used for summer classes, and she wants to help Pasco address its flooding issues with funding for stormwater projects.

Mariano has a bright future, but she cannot match Murphy's experience in this west Pasco district. For Florida House District 36, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Amanda Murphy.

Dan Raulerson

District 58

This race is not defined by policy differences or party politics but by competence. Dan Raulerson is the only serious choice.

Raulerson, 59, is a former Plant City mayor and commissioner who was first elected to the House in 2012. He offers a pro-business perspective to policy issues and is a solid Republican vote, unfortunately opposing the expansion of Medicaid and new gun control restrictions. But as a certified public accountant, Raulerson brings a valuable skill set to his post as chairman of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. He has a firm understanding of key issues important to this district, which includes the east Hillsborough communities of Plant City and Temple Terrace, particularly small business and agriculture.

Jose N. Vazquez Figueroa, 42, runs a personal services business. While the Democrat has sought election to the House before, he has a weak grasp of policy issues and no real sense of priorities or even a reason for running. It is hard to envision him as being effective.

Raulerson understands the legislative process and the duty that comes with public service. He has shown a commitment to his community for years, and he brings a seriousness that this post requires. He also brings to Tallahassee an appreciation for local control. He would support allowing cities such as Tampa to hold referendums on transportation taxes that can now be held only countywide. His small-government outlook is the right fit for this district.

For Florida House District 58, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Dan Raulerson.

Rena Frazier

District 59

Voters in the fast-growing suburbs of Brandon and Riverview have a fresh, energetic choice in Rena Frazier. The Brandon attorney has a serious agenda and the people skills to make her an effective legislator.

Frazier, 38, a Hillsborough County native, understands the growing pains of this area, the need for quality schools and the balance that comes with juggling urban and rural interests. The Democrat supports expanding job training and access to affordable health care, and development programs that help small and existing businesses grow and attract hometown talent.

Rep. Ross Spano, 50, is a lawyer who was elected to the House in 2012. The Republican has not made a mark in Tallahassee, sticking to safe issues such as opposing human trafficking. Spano is more known for what he opposes, from expanding Medicaid to a fairer tax system. His jobs agenda is small-bore.

Frazier's civic work with Brandon Regional Hospital and local development and legal aid groups give her a firm grasp of the health and social services needs in the region. She sees the potential of better utilizing the area's colleges and universities to grow the local economy. Frazier is poised and thoughtful, and she realizes the environment is key to the district's quality of life. Her positions are a much better match for this moderate district.

For Florida House District 59, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Rena Frazier.

David Singer

District 60

This race pits a prepared and engaged civic leader against a repeat candidate with nothing real to offer. Democrat David Singer is the far better choice.

Singer, 38, an attorney who co-founded his own law firm, is a political moderate who supports greater investments in education and public infrastructure. Those are key concerns for the district, which covers South Tampa and coastal Hillsborough County, with its crowded schools and low-lying, flood-prone areas. His focus on improving stormwater capacity, mass transit systems to better move people and goods through Tampa and the region, and the local business climate reflect the maturity and depth he brings as a candidate.

Jackie Toledo, 40, ran a clueless campaign last year for Tampa City Council, and she has not learned from that bad experience or grown as a candidate. The Republican offers little more than partisan slogans and a vow to keep Florida as a "low-cost" state, which is code for low-wage jobs and the impacts that result. She has not offered any substantive agenda, and her discomfort with public scrutiny is a red flag.

Singer's business experience provides him a solutions-oriented approach. He has worked with the private sector to improve the region's transportation system. His reasonableness and open nature would be a fresh change in Tallahassee. Singer also has the self-confidence to do what's right amid the special interest lobbying that floods the capital.

For Florida House District 60, the Tampa Bay Times recommends David Singer.

Shawn Harrison

District 63

This north Tampa district is diverse, including New Tampa, rural Lutz and middle-class areas of central Tampa such as Forest Hills. Republican Rep. Shawn Harrison is a good fit for this swing seat.

Harrison, 51, represented this area for two terms on the Tampa City Council and for four of the past six years in the state House. An attorney, Harrison has advocated for small business and bread-and-butter concerns, and he has shown a willingness to put ideology aside on key issues. He broke with most fellow House Republicans to support a Senate plan to expand Medicaid, which took courage. He supports allowing cities such as Tampa to hold their own transit referendums, giving local control to urban areas. He is pragmatic, a good listener and not consumed by the limelight.

Lisa Montelione also was elected twice to represent the New Tampa area on the Tampa City Council. The Democrat stresses local needs, from investing more in schools to better targeting job development. Montelione, 55, is tireless in her constituent work, and her acute sense of fairness would well serve such a diverse area.

Harrison, though, has been a voice of common sense, and he has a history of working across political lines without burning bridges. There is no compelling reason to lose his experience or the leverage he brings as part of the majority party. His strong relationships with leaders at the local level also help elevate Tampa's interests in Tallahassee.

For Florida House District 63, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Shawn Harrison.

Chris Sprowls

District 65

Chris Sprowls has served one term and already is in line to become House speaker in four years.

Sprowls, 32, is a former Pinellas-Pasco assistant state attorney who joined a private firm this summer. While the Palm Harbor Republican opposes Medicaid expansion, he passed a bill requiring hospitals and insurance companies to provide patients with the cost of procedures in advance. He also passed education reforms enabling students to enroll at any public school that has room, and an experiment that allows principals in Pinellas and elsewhere to get additional training in exchange for more money and greater autonomy.

Now Sprowls will be a leader in creating a regional approach to Tampa Bay's transit challenges. That could involve creating a regional authority for Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties and merging county bus systems.

Bernard Fensterwald, 65, is a credible candidate who moved to Dunedin in 2009 after practicing law in the Washington area and partially owns a self-storage company. Unlike Sprowls, the Democrat supports Medicaid expansion and allowing cities as well as counties to hold voter referendums to pay for transit. But there is no compelling reason now for voters to replace Sprowls in this district, which generally includes Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor and Dunedin.

For Florida House District 65, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Chris Sprowls.

Lorena Grizzle

District 66

This is a rematch from 2014, when incumbent Republican Rep. Larry Ahern won re-election. But this time Lorena Grizzle is better organized, and the Democrat remains the best option.

Grizzle, 63, is a special education teacher who recognizes the state relies too heavily on standardized testing and school letter grades. The Largo Democrat wants to invest more in public schools, supports a regional approach to creating a robust transit system and lists environmental issues such as preventing fracking and addressing climate change as priorities. She understands the need to encourage redevelopment in the district, which stretches from Indian Shores to Clearwater and includes Seminole and part of Largo.

Ahern, 61, is a three-term incumbent who remains the most conservative and least effective Pinellas legislator. He is a reliable vote for the National Rifle Association, providing a key vote to advance open-carry gun legislation that eventually failed to pass. He regretted voting to lift the ban on gay parents adopting and later pushed to allow adoption and foster-care agencies to deny parents based on the organization's religious beliefs, which failed.

To his credit, Ahern sponsored legislation that gives regulators more power to discipline assisted living homes and requires more employee training. But voters deserve more moderate, effective representation in this district.

For Florida House District 66, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Lorena Grizzle.

Chris Latvala

District 67

Chris Latvala had a successful first term and appears poised to take on bigger issues. The Republican is the only credible alternative in this district, which covers significant portions of Clearwater and Largo.

Latvala, 34, passed legislation dealing with regulation of mobile homes, which is important to the district, and reforms making it easier for nonviolent offenders to seek expungement of their juvenile records. He also was the House sponsor of a good solution to the long-festering fight between the state and counties over how to divide juvenile justice costs that was championed by his father, Sen. Jack Latvala of Clearwater.

Like other House Republicans, Latvala opposes Medicaid expansion. But he also has an independent streak, voting against the open carry of guns and legislation that would have opened the door to fracking. Latvala supports developing a regional approach to Tampa Bay's transportation challenges, and he wants to continue to work on juvenile justice issues.

David Vogel, 49, is a lawyer who moved to Clearwater two years ago from West Palm Beach. The Democrat supports Medicaid expansion and closing the gun show loophole, but he has no ties to the community and no credible campaign.

For Florida House District 67, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Chris Latvala.

Ben Diamond

District 68

Ben Diamond won a close Democratic primary race and remains the most well-qualified candidate for the open seat in this district that covers northeast St. Petersburg and eastern Pinellas Park. The first-time candidate is familiar with state government, well-versed in the issues and has deep roots in the community.

Diamond, 38, is a St. Petersburg lawyer who served as counsel to Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink from 2007 to 2011 in Tallahassee. He has a deep understanding of the state capital and the importance of building relationships. He also worked as a pro bono lawyer to support Amendment 1, the environmental land-buying amendment that voters approved in 2014. Diamond would make it a top priority to push for those funds to be spent as voters intended.

Diamond wants to improve early childhood education, and he supports creating a more robust renewable energy policy, Medicaid expansion and improved mass transit. He also backs closing the gun show loophole and opposes open carry of guns.

Joseph Bensmihen, 47, just moved to St. Petersburg from South Florida in April to open a home health care company. The Republican lists typical conservative priorities such as reducing taxes and regulation, and he supports open carry of guns. He has no connection to the district and is not a viable alternative.

For Florida House District 68, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Ben Diamond.

Kathleen Peters

District 69

Kathleen Peters has taken on difficult issues and made a substantial difference.

Peters, 55, learned about mental health by visiting prisons, mental hospitals and judges. Then the Treasure Island Republican played a key role in passing significant reforms to provide a continuum of care, address a shortage of psychiatrists and enable county judges to require mental health treatment in misdemeanor cases. She wants to create a public education campaign on mental health similar to one aimed at discouraging teens from using tobacco.

Last year, Peters helped pass utility regulation reform that will save Duke Energy ratepayers hundreds of millions related to the utility's failed nuclear efforts. The law also bans electric utilities from charging higher rates through extensions of billing cycles. In a third term, the former South Pasadena mayor wants to improve the state's troubled prison system and economic development.

Jennifer Webb, 36, of Gulfport is a credible candidate who has strong experience in public policy as the director of community partnerships for the University of South Florida. Unlike Peters, the Democrat supports Medicaid expansion and opposes open carry of guns. She wants to reform the primary election system and invest more in higher education. But Peters has a better grasp of more issues.

This district covers south Pinellas beaches, South Pasadena, Gulfport and northwest St. Petersburg. For Florida House District 69, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Kathleen Peters.

Wengay Newton

District 70

Wengay Newton will have to adjust his style in the Legislature after eight years as a member of the St. Petersburg City Council, where he often frustrated colleagues with his lengthy discussions and questions. But there is no doubting the Democrat's commitment to helping children, creating jobs and focusing on the needs of low-income residents.

Newton, 53, is a professional photographer who grew up in the poor neighborhoods in south St. Petersburg and understands economic hardship. He would focus on education funding, affordable housing issues and promoting Medicaid expansion. He supports requiring jury recommendations to be unanimous for the death penalty, and he opposes open carry of guns and allowing guns on college campuses.

Cori Fournier, 27, is a St. Petersburg native who lives in Sarasota. The Republican is a real estate agent and a full-time student at the State College of Florida. He supports Medicaid expansion and talks knowledgeably about state issues, but he does not have Newton's life experience.

This sprawling district is centered in St. Petersburg but also includes parts of Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties. For Florida House District 70, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Wengay Newton.