Each candidate was given the opportunity to provide a 150-word bio and respond to our questions within 800 words.
JEFF HOLCOMB (REP)
(Jeff Holcomb opted to place biographical information in his responses.)
What are the critical statewide issues that you will focus on if elected?
Inflation
Insurance reform
Illegal Immigration
Ian Recovery
What are the critical local issues and/or projects you will support if elected?
County Line Road Widening – everyone knows we need this asap
ADA Hurricane Shelter – When we have a hurricane headed to Hernando, like we just did with Ian, Challenger K-8 must be shut down to prepare it to be an ADA shelter. This shuts down the entire school system. The County and the School District would benefit by having a new alternative evacuation site.
New Emergency Operations Center – The current location is co-located with the HCSO office and the Sheriff’s office needs room for its training classes and large meetings, a new location that can be a full time EOC is needed.
Training Facility for our First Responders – We do not have official training facilities for our HCSO and HCFES. Our Firefighters must leave the County for most training now. The Sheriff’s office needs its own shooting range and driving pad.
What is your motivation for running for office?
My motivation for running is to deal with the key issues below:
Fight Inflation – the Brandon Administration, from its first day in office, created executive orders that have completely damaged the US economy, especially in relation to energy.
Combat Illegal Immigration – The Biden Admin is failing our country on illegal immigration. I agree, and as a member of the House, I will support Gov. DeSantis policies on Illegal Immigration. It’s cheaper for FL to ship them somewhere else then to have to provide services to Illegal Immigrants.
Challenge Woke Ideology – Extremists in the Democrat party have taken over and are using government to implement Woke policies! For example, the FDA uses school lunch money to implement transgender policies. These crazy Democrats do not know what a woman is, they think we have 70 different genders and think men can get pregnant. I will stand against these Woke policies and support pro family policies in Florida as your representative.
Keep FL a business friendly and a low tax state – FL has been the leading state in the country for freedom and business. I will be supporting policies that are pro-business, pro-job and keep taxes low.
Are you interested in joining any particular committees?
Commerce Committee
State Affairs – Government Operations and Veterans Affairs
Budget Committee
What are your areas of expertise?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Economics, all types of businesses have been of interest to me my entire life. From the time I had my own business mowing lawns at age 12, to working in restaurants while in school. After college I went into the software industry until I moved to Florida over 20 years ago. I have been a realtor for over 4 years, and I understand all the parts of our region and our economy. I have also gotten to know the entire Nature Coast community and local community leaders.
I also have a master’s degree in Intelligence Studies, this degree helped my military career in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Being an Intelligence Officer, I have learned about many cultures around the world and gained a better understanding of history and learned leadership while serving with great sailors.
I have also served as the Chairman of the Hernando County Republican Party; this position helped me get a tremendous amount of knowledge about elections and interact with business leaders across the County.
What besides your experience makes you especially suited for this office?
I have 8 years’ experience as an elected County Commissioner, including being Chairman in 2019. I have extensive knowledge of the relationship between Counties and Tallahassee. I have seen times when poor leadership and communication have truly damaged our county. But also, how when leaders work together, like from our Sheriff and our Fire Chief, we can put together a community that has a conservative budget and first class first responders.
We need more Commissioners running for the State House. Commissioners come into the position understanding many parts of our complicated government, they can bring local experience to the State House that can lend important perspective to creation of laws.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities of this office?
The Florida House is responsible for creating and amending laws governing the State of Florida. I will be looking at new laws to harden the SOF from invasive polices from Washington. I will also look at new laws to promote business, support job creation, and keep taxes low for our citizens. A key thing to look at for House members is amending current laws. We have some current laws are not being interpreted properly or are obsolete. A lot of good can be done by amending laws already on the books.
It can be difficult for citizens to know where to go with questions or concerns to problems. I hope to have my office at the forefront of the community to help citizens get to the right person who can help them. My background in local government and experience in the community will help the citizens of Hernando and Pasco County.
KEITH LAUFENBERG (DEM)
BIO:
Married 48 years, 4 children and 9 grandchildren; joined Marine Corps, at 17, and, after boot camp at Parris Island, I was stationed at Cherry Point where I made the boxing team, which propelled me into boxing for 10 years, 3 years in the Marines and, after an Honorable Discharge, professional for 7 years. I earned an A.S. degree in pre-law from B.C.C. and worked for a few lawyers but found the system, and the lawyers, were too materialistic, malicious, and lied too much, hiding behind being a fiduciary, and focused more on the truth with my writing and have written 43 literary works: 1 poetry chapbook, 7 books of short stories, 8 novels, 3 children’s books, 22 plays and 2 screenplays, all packed into 23 printed books.
What are the critical statewide issues and/or projects that you will focus on if elected?
Capitalism is my most “critical” issue, as it is a system that has failed us for many decades now. “Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond all conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That’s the way the system works and since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system.” MLK, Jr.
What are the critical local issues you will support if elected?
I got one local issue: Homeless people and how to get them a home.
What is your motivation for running for office?
1.- Get rid of the gun-show loophole. 2.-Bring in unions to Florida. 3.-A $25-dollar an hour minimum wage. 4.-Change the immigration laws to allow more people to come into America, and not just the wealthy. 5.-Civil Rights- In Florida, we have an aberration known as: “The right to work law,” which provides no rights and no work. It’s capitalism, preached by capitalists: men who won’t change these rules, forcing us, the people, to change the system! The Right to Work law is a sham with false slogans that makes a mockery of our civil rights and our long lost job rights. We need unions in the State of Florida and have needed them since 1943, when Florida became the first State to pass this law which has continued on for the past 80 years. I will, as your rep., & with your help, rid us of this unrighteous law, through our “democratic” process. “Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer and there are no civil rights. We do not intend to let them do this to us. We demand this fraud be stopped. Our weapon is our vote.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
Are you interested in joining any particular committees?
Not until I get into office and experience the “committees” of which you speak.
What are your areas of expertise?
As far as any expertise goes I was a journeyman carpenter almost everywhere I went, first part-time, when I was still boxing, then full-time when my children were growing up and I can realize why housing is in such trouble. This is where we need to address three things: housing, Capitalism and Christianity. Capitalism & Christianity cannot “live together.” Just as Communism & Christianity cannot. But, we, as Christians, have the hardest time, ourselves, as Atheism is always knocking on our door. I, myself, identify as Christian and fight the allure and necessity of money in this “god-forsaken,” country, nee World. The problem is that every problem in the US of A almost always concerns money and, we, the people, can plainly see that the “super-wealthy,” own everything, socialize and praise one another together, along with their “bank accounts,” but we also know that God has already been to this world and made himself, aka, Jesus Christ, (well) known and always “fixed things” with but a touch of his hand and he has stuck by these (his) words: “money is the root of all evil.” Money is the Devil’s greatest weapon and he never stops using it.
6.-What besides your experience makes you especially suited for this office?
Most voters, by now, I hope, know who I am and what I’m for. They know at least the basics of my projects, all of which concern their vote for me and what I will do if I win the seat in the State House of representatives, which means, if I win the seat, I will be visiting every one of them who requests it, to get their signatures on a petition that will deliver Universal Health Care, not to mention $25 minimum wages, abolishing the “right to work” law and going as fast and far as we can in order to maximize the Climate change crisis, so that we can live with hope, courage and truth.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities of this office?
The core responsibilities are to speak the truth about everything you do, have done and are doing. To bring back liberty to this country means to have the right to tell people what they don’t want to hear—in other words—the truth! Our democracy is in grave danger and the technique of acquiring a dictatorship over what has been a democracy…. always involves the same mixture of bribery, propaganda and violence which, in 2022, involves Russia, the United States, China, France, the U.K., Pakistan, India, Israel & N.Korea, because these countries are all in possession of nuclear weapons and so, let us remember God and realize that the devil is now working overtime. Oh, and, speaking of the devil here is a piece of Donald Trumps’ history that voter’s should see: https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/central-park-five
