Florida Senate 24 election: Bobby Powell, Eric Ankner bring extreme opposites in philosophy

Voters in Florida Senate 24 have a stark choice on November 8: Bobby Powell, a progressive Democrat with extensive experience in the state Legislature, or Eric Ankner, a self-described "America First" Republican making his first run for public office.

Powell, 41, is seeking his fifth term in the Legislature, having served a pair of two-year terms in the state House and two terms so far in the Senate.

That tenure has afforded Powell some stature in Tallahassee. In 2020, he was chosen by his colleagues to serve as chairman of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, a perch that gave his voice added weight in a Legislature where Republicans hold a majority.

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Being in the minority limits how much any member of the Legislature can accomplish, but Powell was able to add sickle cell anemia, a disease that disproportionately afflicts racial and ethnic minorities, to the list of conditions that is eligible for state grants.

Powell pressed the case for funding for a variety of local projects, including money for Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College.

As chairman of the Black Caucus, he regularly opposed efforts by Republicans in the Legislature and by Gov. Ron DeSantis that he described as harmful to the state's poor and minority residents.

If elected, Ankner, 69, would be the anti-Powell.

A retired corrections and probation officer, Ankner said he would do all he could to help DeSantis and the GOP in Tallahassee.

"I stand for individual liberties and the United States Constitution," he says. "I will assist the governor and my fellow Floridians in keeping Florida and in particular District 24 prosperous in addition to protecting the freedoms of every citizen in my district. I consider myself an American nationalist, a patriot and a constitutionalist."

Ankner says he opposes abortion rights, mask and vaccine mandates and illegal immigration.

He says he supports law enforcement, a border wall, "historically accurate" curriculum in public schools, election integrity and prayer in schools.

State senators serve an initial two-year term and then can serve two additional four-year terms.

The Palm Beach Post performed a criminal background check on every candidate. The Post is reporting any criminal charges filed and the outcome of the cases since January 2012, even when they did not result in a conviction.

Florida Senate District 24 candidate: Bobby Powell (Democrat)

Age and residence: 41, West Palm Beach

Platform: Health care and criminal justice reform remain Powell's priorities. He has been successful in adding sickle cell anemia, a disease that disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities, to the conditions being studied and fought with state funding. He pushed for legislation that called for better coordination between agencies that provide mental health care to children, and he was successful in getting the state to bar criminal arrests for anyone younger than 10 years old. He has introduced legislation that would require the reporting of any law enforcement use of deadly force.

Professional history: A former city planner for the city of West Palm Beach, Powell serves on a number of community boards, including the Urban League's New Urban Development Corporation and the Salvation Army Northwest Community Center Advisory Board.

Political background: Powell served two terms in the state House and two terms in the state Senate.

Education: BS in public relations from Florida A&M University; MS in urban planning from Florida State University.

Endorsements: AFL-CIO, Palm Beach County Black Democratic Caucus, The Fraternal Order of Police, Florida Fire Fighters, Palm Beach County Firefighters, Florida Education Association.

Criminal history: None.

Finances: Powell has raised nearly $118,000, campaign finance reports show, with donations from many large firms, including US Sugar and Disney.

ISSUES

Abortion: Powell said he opposes a ban on all abortions, and he opposed the state's new 15-week abortion ban. "Technically, that is nearly a full abortion ban as there have been no known cases of a child surviving beyond that threshold," he said. "In all honesty, I believe that an abortion should be between a woman, her family and her physician."

LGBTQ rights: "This year I had the opportunity to oppose the "Don't Say Gay" bill, and I voted against it. If there were an opportunity to repeal that legislation I would definitely be in favor of repealing it."

Disney: Gov. Ron DeSantis has supported a move to abolish the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governing and special district district that oversees Disney's land in Orange and Osceola counties. Powell opposes that move. "I would support repealing the law that eliminates the Reedy Creek Improvement District," he said.

Elections: Powell opposed the establishment of a new unit to investigate election fraud, and he opposes other critics contend will make it more difficult for some people to vote. "The 2020 election was accurate, and, as unfortunate as it may, be President Biden did not win Florida," Powell said. "However, the election in Florida, as the governor said, was flawless."

Guns: Gov. Ron DeSantis has pledged to sign what supporters call a "constitutional carry" bill that would allow residents to carry concealed guns without needing a license. "I do not and would not support a constitutional carry bill," Powell said. "As a matter of fact, we need to repeal stand your ground."

Recreational marijuana: "As it relates to recreational marijuana, I would likely support, but would need more details on the legislation that would be proposed," Powell said.

Immigration: Powell said he opposes the governor's move to use state taxpayer money to fly migrants from Texas to Massachusetts. "As a senator and a taxpayer in the state of Florida, I oppose the antics used by the governor to make political points," Powell said.

Florida Senate District 24 candidate: Eric Ankner (Republican)

Age and residence: 69, Lake Worth Beach

Platform: Ankner describes himself as an "America First" and "Florida First" American nationalist, patriot and constitutionalist. He supports 2nd Amendment gun rights, small business, election integrity, law enforcement, a border wall and a "historically accurate" school curriculum. He opposes illegal immigration, abortion rights, drug and human trafficking, "big tech censorship," voter fraud, communism and socialism.

Professional history: Ankner is a retired probation and corrections officer.

Political background: Ankner is making his first run for public office.

Education: Unknown. Ankner did not respond to multiple requests for more information on his personal background and for answers to specific, Florida-centered political questions.

Criminal history: None

Endorsements: Unknown.

Finances: Anker has raised about $5,000 with nearly $1,500 of that coming from members of his household.

Abortion: Based on information from his website, Ankner opposes abortion rights.

LGBTQ rights: Unknown.

Disney: Ankner's website does not include a position on the abolition of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Elections: Ankner says he opposes voter fraud, but his specific views on the new election fraud unit and the recent changes to election law in Florida are unknown.

Guns: Ankner said he supports 2nd Amendment gun rights. His specific views on legislation that would allow Floridians to carry guns without a license are unknown.

Recreational marijuana: Unknown.

Immigration: Ankner said he supports a border wall and a stronger border presence. His specific views on the governor's move to use state taxpayer money to transport migrants from Texas to Massachusetts are unknown.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Bobby Powell, Eric Ankner present stark choices for District 24 election