Ryan Ray
Tracy Pafford has filed for election in a bid to succeed her term-limited husband, House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, in West Palm-based House District 86.
The 46-year-old Palm Beach native joins Wellington hopefuls Stuart Mears, a Republican, and Democrat Matt Willhite, who have also announced their intentions to run.
Her decision comes as her husband emerges from a difficult cycle as minority leader in the Florida House, which began with his 2008 election in District 88 and more recently has led to his promotion following the ouster of erstwhile leader Darryl Rouson last summer. Leader Pafford is serving out his fourth and final consecutive term.
Pafford, a guardian ad litem and foster-care advocate, will make child protection, women’s issues, and victim advocacy centerpieces of her campaign.
She caught media attention in 2010 for her defense of an ad by Democratic Florida Senate candidate Kevin Rader, in which he charged Republican opponent Lizbeth Benacquisto with being tied to groups that he claimed want to make abortion illegal in cases of rape and incest, such as the Florida Right to Life Political Action Committee.
