Staff Reports
Lakeland City Commissioner Phillip Walker announced on Tuesday that he had “prequalified” in the race to succeed Rep. Colleen Burton in 2022.
Walker is one of two Republicans running in House District 40, which covers part of Polk County. Jennifer Canady is also running for the seat. The seat will be open in 2022 because Burton is term-limited.
“I believe that my conservative record of accomplishments in Lakeland speaks for itself,” Walker said. “I have worked hard for our community, and I have the skills to represent us effectively in the Florida House.”
Walker launched his campaign for HD 40 in early January and said it raised more than $10,000 in about two weeks. The campaign has also set up a website and social media accounts and is in the process of collecting petitions to qualify for the 2022 ballot.
“There are big issues we face, obviously, especially in a pandemic,” Walker said. “We need conservative and stable leadership to navigate these challenges in health care and education delivery and keep government out of the way so our economy can come back stronger than even before.”
Walker is a Lakeland native, growing up in the city’s Washington Park housing project. He graduated from Kathleen High School and eventually earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from Rollins College.
Walker returned to Lakeland after college to start a family. He is a former officer in the Lakeland Police Department and was the principal owner of a local Allstate insurance agency for nearly three decades.
He has been active in civic and church-related organizations such as the United Way, Salvation Army, Chamber of Commerce and has several school advisory committees.
Walker is also a longtime leader in the Republican Party at both the state and local levels. He was elected to the Lakeland City Commission in 2009, where he currently serves. Later this year, he will be sworn in as president of Florida League of Cities.
He and his wife, Cappie, have three children and one granddaughter.
