Mitch Perry
Jennifer N. Webb, Director of Community Partnerships at the University of South Florida’s Office of Community Engagement and Partnerships and a resident of Gulfport, has announced her candidacy for State House District 69, currently occupied by Republican Kathleen Peters.
“I feel privileged to live in this incredible community and proud of the values and vision we have for moving all of our neighborhoods forward,” the Democrat said in a statement issued Wednesday, “but our values and vision locally are not in-line with legislation coming out of Tallahassee. They spend their time with well-connected insiders up there, but fail to show up for our public schools, our families, and our communities back here.”
In the press release announcing her candidacy, Webb says her work at USF includes building projects to reduce violence and increase employment, eliminate hunger, bring justice to victims of crime and abuse of power, permanently house homeless families, and support high-quality public schools.
She graduated summa cum laude with BAs in History and Anthropology from Louisiana State University. She later moved Massachusetts to work in workforce and economic development before coming to Florida, where she earned her MA in Applied Anthropology from USF.
“Back here, we understand that tackling mental health issues in a meaningful way means expanding Medicaid to over 850,000 Floridians including 41,000 veterans,” Webb says. “Back here, we understand that our beaches are a precious resource that drives our economy – and the risk of fracking in Florida is too high. And back here, we know that excellent public education is a right, not something that should be hijacked by special interest groups. It is time that our local vision has [a] voice in Tallahassee, and I will work to do just that.”
House District 69 includes Gulfport, Madeira Beach, Pinellas Park, South Pasadena, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island and parts of St. Petersburg.
