Term limits, insurance converge for Mayfield, Weldon in Florida House District 32 primary

Term limits are one reason Florida Sen. Debbie Mayfield and former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon are in the Florida House District 32 race.

Another reason: Through-the-roof insurance rates that seemingly have no limits these days.

Fellow Republican Thad Altman of Indialantic, who currently holds the House District 32 seat, is term-limited out, so he's running for the District 5 seat on the Brevard County Commission.

Mayfield can't seek reelection, either, to her District 19 Florida Senate seat , because of term limits.

Qualifiers to represent Brevard: Who qualified to run as your next representative of Brevard County in the Florida House?

Florida House District 32 includes parts of Central and South Brevard: Rockledge, Viera, Suntree, Melbourne, Indian Harbour Beach and Indialantic. The term is two years and the salary is $29,697 a year.

Based on voter registrations, Republicans Mayfield or Weldon would be the favorites to be the next District 32 representative. The district is 46.68% Republican, 24.95% Democrat and 28.38% independent (no party affiliation voters or members of minor political parties), based on voter registration figures.

Both Mayfield and Weldon are residents of Indialantic.

The Aug. 20 Republican primary winner will face Democrat Juan Jose Hinojosa of Rockledge on Nov. 5.

Endorsements and campaign cash

Mayfield's endorsements include former President Donald Trump; U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio; Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson; U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz; Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo; Florida Sen. Tom Wright; Florida Rep. Robert "Robbie" Brackett; Brevard County Tax Collector Lisa Cullen; Brevard County Property Appraiser Dana Blickley; Brevard County Clerk of Courts Rachel Sadoff; Brevard State Attorney Phil Archer; and Brevard County Commissioners Rita Pritchett and Jason Steele.

Weldon's endorsements include retiring U.S. Rep. Bill Posey; Florida Reps. Thad Altman and Tyler Sirois; Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey; former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos; and Florida Family Action.

As of mid-July, Weldon had raised more than $100,000 for his run. Also, the Friends of Dave Weldon political committee reported more than $76,000 since it formed last year, according to Florida's campaign finance database.

Through mid-July, Mayfield had raised more than $163,000, as well as a $25,000 candidate loan. Also, Mayfield is chairperson of the Conservatives for Good Government PAC, which has more than $1 million in cash on hand that Mayfield controls.

What they see as top issues

Weldon running for House District 32: Former Republican congressman Weldon to run for Florida House seat

Mayfield, 67, and Weldon, 69, agree that skyrocketing insurance rates are among the key issues for the Space Coast, as well as the rest of the state.

Florida property owners pay more than four times the national average for home insurance. Rates especially spiked in the wake of Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022.

The other top issues, Mayfield said, include funding for affordable housing and improving infrastructure.

Weldon adds rising car-insurance rates among the top issues, as well as job creation and improving the school system.

In response to questions from FLORIDA TODAY about the top issues and what she'd do to address them, Mayfield said: "I will continue to support full funding of the Sadowski program which provides down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers. In addition, we should continue to look for public-private partnerships to assist in affordable-housing needs."

Mayfield also said she'd "continue to monitor policies that have been put in place the past three years to ensure we are achieving the intended results of stabilizing the insurance market and lowering costs for homeowners."

Regarding infrastructure, she noted that Florida receiving a grade of “C” from the American Society of Civil Engineers for its infrastructure.

"With the continued growth in Florida, we must continue to fund our five-year work program" with the Florida Department of Transportation, she said. "In addition, we need a five-year work plan for our underground utilities that would also include replacement and repair of our aging underground utilities, such as our water and sewer lines."

Asked about the top issues and what he'd do to address them, Weldon said: "One of my highest priorities will be to work to reduce the high cost of homeowners' insurance. While the legislature has passed some reforms, they have been too late and inadequate and homeowners are facing skyrocketing prices."

Weldon said he'd would work to reduce the high cost of car insurance.

"Florida has some of the most expensive car insurance rates in the nation," he said, adding that "a big factor driving both the high cost of auto and homeowners' insurance is excessive litigation."

"I would additionally like to work further to improve our economy and job creation and our school system to make it the best in the nation," Weldon said.

Impact of congressional race

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Mayfield had initially been considering a run for the Florida District 8 congressional seat, held by U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge. She told FLORIDA TODAY she talked with Posey about the possibility of running for Posey's seat, as long as he wasn't seeking reelection to a ninth two-year term this year. She said Posey at the time indicated he was going to run for reelection. Posey also had filed paperwork to qualify to run and was fundraising for his campaign.

But, on April 26 ― shortly after the candidate qualifying period ended ― Posey announced he wouldn't seek reelection because of "circumstances beyond my control" that he did not elaborate on.

In his announcement, Posey endorsed former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos for the congressional seat. Haridopolos earlier that day entered the race, filing his candidate paperwork and paying his $10,440 qualifying fee less than two hours before the deadline.

Mayfield, a 20-year resident of Indian River County, succeeded her late husband, Stan, in the Florida House in 2008.then relocated to Brevard. She is a retired banking executive who's been an advocate for state funding of Indian River Lagoon restoration projects.

Weldon served in Congress for seven two-year terms. He first won election in 1994 as part of the "Republican Revolution." He won reelection in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

During his tenure in Congress, Weldon championed religious and anti-abortion causes; gun rights; and national security. He also worked to support and expand the U.S. space program. Weldon helped secure funds to construct the East Central Florida VA Clinic and to acquire land to expand the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Brevard County.

In a medical drama that drew national attention, Weldon tried to stop Terri Schiavo's feeding tube from being removed. Schiavo was a Florida woman in a vegetative state whose case triggered a national debate when her husband wanted to remove her breathing tube, while her parents wanted to keep her on life support, prompting legal challenges. At one point, Weldon offered to examine Schiavo himself to make a determination about the outcome.

While serving in Congress, Weldon also supported multiple bills to criminalize human cloning.

Weldon is a board-certified internist affiliated with the Health First Medical Group.

Contact Waymer at 321-261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on X/Twitter at @JWayEnviro.

Debbie Mayfield

Occupation: Retired banking executive

Education: Florida Banking School

Political/government/civic experience:

Florida Senate (2016 to 2024)

Senate Rules Committee chair (2022 to 2024)

Senate majority leader (2020 to 2022)

Chair of Appropriations of Agriculture, Environment and General Government Committee (2018 to 2020)

Vice chair of Education Committee (2016 to 2018)

Florida House of Representatives (2008 to 2016)

Vice chair of Local and Federal Affairs Committee (2014 to 2016)

Chair of Business and Professional Regulation Committee (2012 to 2014)

Vice chair of State Affairs Committee and Vice Chair of Government Operations Subcommittee (2010 to 2012)

Deputy whip (2009 to 2010)

Vice chair of Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee (2008 to 2010)

Campaign email: Debbie@debbiemayfield.com

Will@debbiemayfield.com

Campaign phone number: 321-312-0124

Website or Facebook page: www.debbiemayfield.com

Dave Weldon

Occupation: Physician, internal medicine

Education: Bachelor of Science in biochemistry, SUNY Stony Brook; MD, SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine (now called Jacobs)

Political/government/civic experience: 14 years in U.S. House of Representatives, 1995 to 2008

Campaign email: drdave@weldon.org

Campaign phone number: 321-361-7585

Website or Facebook page: Dave-weldon.com

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Term limits, insurance converge for Mayfield, Weldon in Florida House District 32 primary