Jesse Scheckner
Third-generation Floridian, veteran and businessman Richard Furman has entered the race for redrawn House District 30.
Furman, a decades-long resident of Volusia, Orange and Seminole counties, announced Thursday that he was entering what is now a three-way Republican Primary contest for HD 30, which covers a coastal stretch from Port Orange to Titusville.
In a statement, the former U.S. Army National Guardsman and volunteer community board member outlined his priorities, which include upholding personal liberties and a need to repel governmental overreach.
“Now more than ever, Gov. (Ron) DeSantis needs allies who share his vision for a freedom loving and respecting Florida,” he said. “I will stand side by side with America’s Governor to push back on (President) Joe Biden’s unconstitutional mandates, reduce regulations at all levels of government, and continue the fight to put Parents First when it comes to the health, welfare and education of their children.
“We must ensure we continue to protect our conservative values and keep our state free for generations to come.”
Furman, who is a resident of New Smyrna Beach, is co-director of Bridges Eola Partnership, a “diversified real estate holdings” company his family operates throughout Central Florida. He holds an MBA from the University of Miami Herbert Business School and a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from the University of Alabama.
In 2021, Senate President Wilton Simpson nominated Furman to a four-year term on the nominating council for Florida’s Public Service Commission. He was confirmed to that role by the Senate.
He has also served on the Orange County Civic Facilities Authority, where he spent four years as chair, and the county’s Code Enforcement Board, a position to which he was elected three times.
Other past organization memberships include the Coastal Conservation Association, Florida Citrus Sports, Orlando-Winter Homeowners Association, Police Athletic League, Rotary International Daytona Beach West Board and Volusia-Seminole-Orange County Republican Party.
