State House District 88: Jervonte Edmonds faces challenge from Roz Stevens in bid to keep seat
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State Rep. Jervonte Edmonds is making his second run in Florida House District 88 in less than a year. This time, he'll face Roz Stevens, a Republican making her first bid for public office.
Edmonds, a Democrat, won a special election for the seat in March to fill the unexpired term of former state Rep. Omari Hardy.
District 88 is a predominantly Black district that includes parts of Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Park, West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Magnolia Park, Lake Worth, Lantana, Boynton Beach, and Delray Beach.
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The Palm Beach Post performed a criminal background check on every candidate for state representative, including the incumbents. 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.
Edmonds' answers to The Palm Beach Post's Candidate Endorsement Questionnaire are listed below. Stevens did not respond to the questionnaire. Her profile here is based on a League of Women Voters survey she responded to and information posted on her campaign website.
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Jervonte 'Tae' Edmonds
Age and residence: The 31-year-old Florida native has lived in West Palm Beach for four years.
Platform: His top campaign priorities are creating jobs, finding solutions to the affordable housing crisis, increasing funding for education and vocational training, protecting voter rights and criminal justice reform.
"We must be vigilant in our fight for voter access. Gov. DeSantis’ election reform bill is just another example of the desire to restrict voter access, especially for minorities," Edmonds said. "The courts struck down some parts of the law, but I’m sure there will be similar bills in the future. It is imperative to democracy to make voting as easy as possible, while keep the voting process safe and secure."
Professional history: Edmonds founded and is CEO of the nonprofit Suits for Seniors in 2015, the same year he went to work as a legislative assistant to state Sen. Bobby Powell. He held this position in Powell's office for two years. Suits for Seniors mentors and trains at-risk youth from 13 high schools, providing economic and entrepreneurship education. Edmonds also has held board positions in the Black Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County, the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, Sequel's Palm Beach Youth Academy, The Salvation Army, The city of Delray Beach's Education Board, the South Florida Fair and the Edna Runner Tutorial Center. He was the CEO of the West Palm Beach Police Athletic League from 2020 through 2021.
Education: Edmonds holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University.
Social media presence: Edmonds posts about his campaign, local issues and his children's book series on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Criminal history: Edmonds twice was arrested for possession of small amounts of marijuana while he was attending FAU. Both times the charges were dropped.
Notable media coverage: Edmonds is known for his work with high school seniors in Palm Beach County.
Endorsements: Edmonds has 44 endorsements from individual local and national municipal leaders, including four state representatives and Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Chelsea Reed. He is also endorsed by the Florida Education Association, Florida Rising and the Hispanic Political Action Committee.
Finances: Edmonds said he anticipates spending about $50,000 on his campaign. Campaign finance reports as of Sept. 2 show he's raised $21,316 in contributions from 34 donors since Jan. 1, 2021. The campaign has spent $10,406, with $4,000 of that going to consulting charges from Patriot Games Inc.
Roz Stevens
Age and residence: The 55-year-old native West Palm Beach resident is making her first run for public office.
Platform: Stevens has said on her website and in the League of Women Voters survey that her goal is to help working families navigate in today's economy.
"Our communities and families have deteriorated and are coping with unsafe neighborhoods and a poor education system," Stevens said in Palm Beach County's League of Women Voters survey. "And now the inflation crisis has further burdened the average family which needs immediate relief."
Professional history and education: Stevens works as a health care onboarding specialist. She graduated from John I. Leonard High School in Greenacres before going on to the University of Miami, where she studied communications and liberal arts.
Social media presence: Stevens posts about her campaign on Twitter and Facebook.
Criminal history: None.
Notable media coverage: None.
Endorsements and finances: Stevens' Facebook profile has mentioned two endorsements, one from local conservative pundit Mike Essen and one from a voter. There are no details about campaign financing on Stevens' social media or campaign website.
Lianna Norman covers northern Palm Beach County for the Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at lnorman@pbpost.com. You can follow her reporting on social media @LiannaNorman on Twitter. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: House District 88: Jervonte Edmonds faces challenge from Roz Stevens
