Election 2024: Meet the House candidates for District 76 (Arcadia, Punta Gorda, N. Fort Myers)
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With no incumbent running, Florida's House seat for District 76 is wide open this election year.
Now two Republicans and one Democrat have qualified to compete for the spot currently held by Republican Spencer Roach.
Roach dropped out of the 2024 race in April, citing a feeling of "restlessness" and a need to trust his instincts.
"It’s time for me to step away, and I will leave political office the same way I entered it: with my integrity intact, my conscience clear, and my heart full …" Roach said in a statement on Facebook. "I have given 100% to the job you hired me to do, and I will continue to give maximum effort until my term expires in November."
Florida House of Representatives District 76 stretches across parts of Lee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, including Arcadia, North Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Both Babcock Ranch and Herons Glen Golf and Country Club are part of the district. The new district was approved March 3, 2022, by the Florida Supreme Court.
Mail and early voting for Lee County 2024 primary election: Here's what you need to know
Republicans Steven Ceracche and Vanessa Oliver will battle in the Aug. 20 primary. Whoever wins will take on Democrat Jim Blue in the Nov. 5 general election.
All three candidates qualified last week for the 2024 election. The House seat pays $18,000 per year, plus a per diem.
Here's more about the three candidates competing for District 76:
JIM BLUE (DEMOCRAT)
Age
72
City of residence
Punta Gorda
Why he's running for District 76
"Tallahassee lawmakers have been consumed by distractions like 'wokeness' and drag queens," Blue says. "They've ignored important issues like the insurance crisis, affordable housing and the environment.
"I want to change the focus. I'll work across the aisle for a bipartisan solution that eases re-insurance requirements and attracts more insurance companies to Florida. I'll also work with our legislators in Washington to create a national solution that spreads the risk."
His top three issues or priorities
Blue says his top issues are:
Affordable insurance,
Restoring reproductive freedom,
And protecting local power by stopping "Tallahassee's overreach" and restoring "home rule."
His work and political background
Blue worked 44 years as a TV news director and anchor, mostly in Toledo, Ohio.
"During my career, I traveled the world covering America's troops," he says. "Now, I plan to devote all my time to solving the problems confronting Florida and particularly House District 76."
Learn more about Jim Blue
Find out more about Jim Blue and his campaign at jimblue.com.
STEVEN CERACCHE (REPUBLICAN)
Age
40
City of residence
North Fort Myers
Why he's running for District 76
"I have always felt the call to help my community," Ceracche says. "I was exposed to community service through membership in Boy Scouts of America, where I received the highest honor, Eagle Scout."
Ceracche says he's lived nine years in Southwest Florida and watched as the Florida Legislature "didn’t do enough to help our community" after Hurricane Ian.
"It’s time to pass meaningful legislation that will help everyday Floridians who are struggling right now," he says.
His top three issues or priorities
Ceracche says his top three issues are:
Insurance reform, including a cap on fixed-rate increases to prevent insurance companies from doubling or tripling the cost of insurance over a one-year period,
Cleaning up Florida water by, among other things, allowing cities to regulate and ban the use of fertilizer during rainy season and addressing the public health risks of red and blue-green algae blooms,
And agricultural reform, including helping out farmers who are going out of business "at an alarming rate."
His work and political background
Ceracche works as the food safety manager for Green Life Farms in Babcock Ranch, which he says supplies leafy greens and lettuce to 1,300 Publix grocery stores and many other Florida retailers.
"I have almost a decade of experience working with local Florida farmers to help them market their farms and get their goods to the retail market," he says. "Over this past decade, I have seen our local farming community shrink, and no one in the Legislature is talking about this farming crisis. This needs to change this upcoming legislative session!"
Learn more about Steven Ceracche
Find out more about Steven Ceracche and his campaign at stevenceracche.com.
VANESSA OLIVER (REPUBLICAN)
Age
43
City of residence
Punta Gorda
Why she's running for District 76
"As someone who has spent nearly my entire life in the district, raising my family here, and managing a business, I know how important it is that we have leaders who believe in the conservative principles that make Florida the envy of the nation," she says. "I want our region and state to thrive so we can build multigenerational communities ― so our retirees can enjoy their golden years, our graduates can build successful careers and our children can attend great schools."
Her top three issues or priorities
Oliver says her top three issues are:
Establishing an insurance-fraud task force to "root out corruption and lower insurance rates,"
Making sure state and local law enforcement can "do their jobs, deport illegal aliens and secure the border."
And combating inflation by cutting taxes, reducing fees and making tax holidays permanent.
Her work and political background
Oliver is CEO of Ambitrans Ambulance, which she says has more than 250 employees and provides ground-ambulance transportation between facilities in five counties. She's also an attorney and board-certified in Health Law.
In 2020, she was elected to the Charlotte County Airport Authority, which oversees the management of the Punta Gorda Airport and the surrounding lands. She currently serves as vice-chair.
Learn more about Vanessa Oliver
Find out more about Vanessa Oliver and her campaign on Facebook at tinyurl.com/jyyty775
Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at crunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida House of Representatives candidates for District 76: Arcadia, Punta Gorda, N. Fort Myers
