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Election 2020: Incumbent and challenger square off for Florida House 23 seat

Ocala Star-Banner - 10/2/2020

Oct. 1--State House of Representatives

District 23 covers the northeast and eastern portions of Marion County. Representatives serve two-year terms and are paid $29,697 per year. Representatives can serve no more than four two-year terms.

Cynthia Dela Rosa

Age: 23

Party: Democrat

Experience: Works at the Florida Autism Center. University of Florida graduate with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Family: Single

Learn more: cynthiaforhouse.com

Stan McClain

Age: 59

Party: Republican

Experience: Was first elected to the District 23 seat in 2016. Served three terms as Marion County commissioner from 2004-2016.

Family: Widowed, 11 children.

Learn more: stanmcclain.com

The race for the Florida House of Representatives District 23 seat pits a political newcomer against the incumbent.

On Nov. 3, voters will choose between two-term incumbent Stan McClain and Cynthia Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa, a Democrat, is making her first run for public office. She beat Richard Rowe in the Aug. 18 primary for the chance to face McClain, a Republican.

McClain faced no challenger in the primaries and seeks a third term in the seat that covers the northeast and eastern portions of Marion County.

Dela Rosa, 23, is running on an overall progressive agenda but is focused on local issues as well.

She hopes to help improve roads and bring broadband internet to the Ocala National Forest. She also wants to improve transportation and access to legal services to veterans that live in the area.

She recently helped organize a Black Lives Matter rally in Ocala in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She felt it was important to show local support against police brutality.

"We wanted to make a statement that black lives do matter. They matter no matter where you are," Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa, who grew up in Ocala, supports a Medicare-for-all model for healthcare where medical plans are offered by the government. She also is pro-choice and wants to ensure there are enough resources for women, no matter what choice they make.

Dela Rosa said teachers not only deserve higher salaries, but they should also have more freedom over their curriculum. She is also a supporter of more vocational training for those not on a college path, according to her website.

Despite her enthusiasm, she knows beating a well-ensconced incumbent like McClain is no easy task.

"It's an uphill battle, but I knew that when I started it. The current leadership in the state Legislature has failed a lot of people in this district, and it's time for a change. I know I can bring that change," she said.

McClain, 59. said he hopes to continue with the work he has done through his first two terms.

He supported bills that increased per-student spending on education and raised teacher salaries. He said he will continue to push for increased education spending.

"We're trying to get our teacher where their pay is on par with the rest of the country," he said.

McClain hopes to continue supporting efforts to improve water quality, especially in Marion County, and protect the area's natural resources, including Silver Springs.

"Just recently we got $13.2 million in springs restoration funding. We're going to continue to look at those things," he said.

McClain also will continue to oppose excessive taxation and regulation on businesses and push for the free market growth of the economy. He is committed to supporting the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and will fight efforts to erode that right, according to his website.

He said, however, this upcoming legislative session will be a challenging one, with the body having to deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The session starts in March and runs for 60 days.

McClain said the budget, largely reliant on sales taxes, will be impacted due to reduced revenues caused by the prolonged shutdown and continued slowdown of the economy from COVID-19.

"We're going to have to address those issues," he said.

McClain's fundraising efforts have eclipsed Dela Rosa's by a factor of about five. The longtime Marion County politician raised more than $46,000 in monetary contributions compared to just more than $8,300 for Dela Rosa, according to records on file with the Florida Department of State.

-- Contact Carlos E. Medina at cmedina@starbanner.com or 234-4787.

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