Vanessa Oliver says she's spent her entire life in Florida's District 76. She's raised her family here and managed a business here, too.
That's why Oliver, 43, wants to represent District 76 in the Florida House of Representatives.
"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 said in an earlier interview . "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."
The Florida House of Representatives District 76 race
The Punta Gorda resident is competing against fellow Republican Steven Ceracche in Florida's Aug. 20 primary election. The winner will battle Democrat Jim Blue in the general election Nov. 5.
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 Florida Supreme Court approved the new district March 3, 2022.
The House seat pays $18,000 per year for its two-year term, plus a per diem.
More about House District 76 candidate Vanessa Oliver
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.
She hopes to win the seat formerly occupied by Republican Spencer Roach, who dropped out of the 2024 race in April. Roach cited a feeling of "restlessness" and a need to trust his instincts.
As of July 18, Oliver had raised more than $77,500 for her campaign, according to the Florida Department of State's Division of Elections.
Here are Oliver's answers to our questions about why she's running for District 76, why she thinks she's the best person for the job and her thoughts on some of the biggest issues facing the district. Her written responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Why do you want to be the next state representative for District 76?
As someone raised in the district and now raising my family here, I have a vested interest in helping our community flourish. It is critically important to me that we have a strong economy, clean water, affordable insurance, good schools, and a low cost of living, because I want my children to return here when they are adults.
I’m so fortunate to live in the same community as my family, so my children get to grow up with their grandparents, aunts and uncles as a constant presence in their lives. My goal is to make Southwest Florida a more multigenerational region, because strong families make strong communities.
While our region faces challenges, I truly believe that we live in the greatest community, in the greatest state, in the greatest country in the world. I want to keep it that way.
What separates you from your opponents?
I am the only true conservative Republican in this race. I will protect our constitutional rights, make elections security a priority, promote the rule of law, empower parents, protect life, back the blue and protect our freedoms.
As a businesswoman, lawyer, mother and an elected member of the Charlotte County Airport Authority, I have a proven track record of fighting for greater governmental transparency and accountability, limiting government overreach and protecting private property rights. I will continue to fight for our citizens in Tallahassee.
What life or work experiences do you have that make you the best candidate?
As CEO of Southwest Florida’s largest private ambulance service, I know what it’s like to sign the front of a paycheck, not just the back. I also understand the importance of fiscal responsibility.
Like the State of Florida, in my business I can’t go over budget. Instead, I make tough decisions to allocate resources, just like the Legislature does.
I also understand how regulations that are passed at the state and local level can impact the livelihoods of our businesses and workforce. I will work to keep Florida’s taxes low, eliminate burdensome regulations and promote our economy to put money back in the pockets of our citizens.
What are the biggest issues facing District 76, and how would you address them?
Our district, like the rest of Florida, is facing an affordability crisis. Inflation and rising insurance costs have put the American dream out of reach for many of our citizens.
We need to cut taxes and fees to return money back to taxpayers, lower property-insurance rates by holding lawyers and insurance companies accountable, balance Florida’s budget to keep our No. 1 fiscal health ranking, reform car insurance to bring down rates for residents, and attract high-paying companies to Southwest Florida to offer more lucrative careers.
What are your top priorities, if elected to District 76?
- Lower insurance rates. This will require a multi-faceted approach, but the first step is to create an insurance fraud task force to root out corruption and ensure savings are passed down to rate payers;
- Combat skyrocketing inflation by cutting taxes and fees;
- And invest in science-backed solutions to protect our precious water.
Florida's insurance keeps rising. How do you think the state should address the issue?
Floridians desperately need relief from escalating property-insurance rates. As a business-minded resident, I believe that we must address the insurance crisis by:
- Creating an insurance fraud task force to root out corruption;
- Treating property-insurance companies like public utilities, similar to energy and water companies, which would require them to return a portion of their profits to customers in the form of lower rates;
- Supporting new, fully solvent and responsible companies entering the market to help lower rates and bring more competition into Florida;
- Ensuring that ratepayers and homeowners get the coverage they paid for in case of a storm or claim;
- And providing homeowners with adequate time to find new carriers when they’re dropped by their existing carrier.
Abortion will be on the Florida ballot this year with Amendment 4, which would protect women's right to abortion in Florida. What is your stance on abortion?
I oppose Amendment 4, which dramatically expands and legalizes abortion far beyond the parameters set forth in Roe v. Wade. Amendment 4, under the guise of “protecting women’s health,” destroys the ability of the people’s elected representatives to pass common-sense protections for women and unborn babies.
As the only true conservative Republican in this race, you can count on my commitment to protect women, children and unborn babies.
The environment is another huge issue for Florida. How do you think the state should address clean water and other problems?
Protecting Florida’s pristine environment and water quality are two of the most important issues facing our state. As a mother, I want to make sure that our water remains clean and our environment remains unspoiled for generations to come.
I support septic to sewer conversions, infrastructure investments, wildlife corridors, conservation management and red tide/blue green algae mitigation in order to protect our precious waters and lands.
What are your thoughts on Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoing all of Florida’s planned arts and culture grants in the state’s 2024-25 budget?
The Governor was right to veto this funding for two main reasons: 1) The state has very little to no control over how tens of millions of dollars would be spent. And (2): Some of the recipients would use taxpayer funds to promote sexually explicit events that I don't think most people in our community would define as "the arts."
This is a great time for us to rethink how we fund the arts, because funding the arts is something most would agree with. But this funding needs to meet certain standards and have accountability to the taxpayers who are working hard to fund this line item of our budget and so many more.
This also presents a great opportunity for many of our local nonprofits to explore earned-income possibilities to generate the revenue necessary to support and expand their operations. There are fantastic groups that have a long history of collaborating with nonprofits to teach them the skills they need to become economically self-sufficient.
What is your stance on allowing recreational marijuana in Florida and how would you regulate it?
I oppose Amendment 3, which would put children at risk and endanger Florida’s family-friendly reputation.
I’ve visited states where recreational marijuana is legal, and I hate that I can’t walk down a street without my children breathing in second-hand marijuana fumes. Tourists don’t want to fight through marijuana clouds while visiting our theme parks and beaches.
The problem with legislating through constitutional amendments is that the Legislature cannot amend the ballot language to reflect our citizens’ wishes.
― 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: Election 2024: Q&A with House District 76 candidate Vanessa Oliver of Punta Gorda
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