The conservative case for re-electing State Sen. Loranne Ausley | Fincher Smith

I’ve lived in Tallahassee my whole life.  I’ve been a restaurateur and a developer; now, I am a co-owner of Frog Realty, a local residential and commercial brokerage firm. In my 66 years, I’ve seen it all in state politics. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m no progressive. I’ve cast plenty of votes for Republicans over the years. But next month, I won’t be voting straight red.

In one key down-ticket race, I’ll mark my ballot for Democratic State Senator Loranne Ausley — because I’ve come to see that she truly understands what it takes to make our community stronger for everyone.

Ausley is a working mom who genuinely cares about local families. She was instrumental in establishing the South City Foundation, a nonprofit that works with local businesses and residents to provide cradle-to-career educational support, wellness programs, and safe, high-quality mixed-income housing in underserved southside neighborhoods.

Ausley is known for working across the aisle, and she fought tirelessly to win long-overdue pay raises for our teachers and state employees. She brought over $1 billion to our district for infrastructure improvements. She is also a fearless advocate for North Florida children, championing early childhood education, childcare programs, and affordable health care.

Experience matters. Ausley’s opponent, Corey Simon, was an extremely talented defensive tackle. I admired him when he was with the Florida State Seminoles, although I hated it when he trounced my favorite team, the Florida Gators. He seems like a good guy.  But he is not the person we should send to the Senate.

A political appointee who’s spent most of his career as an athlete, Simon has made it clear that he’ll side with his party on every issue. That's a problem, because Senate Republicans are closing in on a supermajority that would enable those in power to unilaterally override gubernatorial vetoes and potentially even reshape the state constitution.

That kind of unchecked power would cause any party — Democrats or Republicans — to go off the rails. We all know that there’s too much fire and noise in our politics right now and giving one party unfettered control would only put us on a path to more conflict.

For me, that’s a bridge too far: I’m comfortable with Republicans running our state, but I don’t want to tear up the rulebook. Whatever happens next month, the Florida GOP will still control the levers of power — but there’s something to be said for ensuring they face a few checks and balances along the way.

Ausley and I don’t agree on everything. But as a conservative, I recognize the value in having experienced, independent leaders who share my desire for stability, and who are willing to look beyond partisanship and consider the needs of our entire community.

Now more than ever, we need diverse perspectives in the room and level heads at the table. So, whether you vote Democratic or Republican in the up ticket races, and whether you consider yourself a liberal, a conservative, or an independent, pause for a minute when you get to the State Senate section of the ballot — and back Loranne Ausley to represent the needs of all Tallahasseeans.

A third generation Tallahasseean, Fincher Smith is a long time restaurateur, former real estate developer, and current agent/owner with Frog Real Estate Co. LLC, specializing in residential and commercial properties.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Send letters to the editor (up to 200 words) or Your Turn columns (about 500 words) to letters@tallahassee.com. Please include your address for verification purposes only, and if you send a Your Turn, also include a photo and 1-2 line bio of yourself. You can also submit anonymous Zing!s at Tallahassee.com/Zing. Submissions are published on a space-available basis. All submissions may be edited for content, clarity and length, and may also be published by any part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: The conservative case for re-electing State Sen. Loranne Ausley | Fincher Smith