Vanessa Oliver launches bid for open HD 76 seat, vows to uphold ‘conservative principles’

Businesswoman Vanessa Oliver is launching a bid to serve residents of Charlotte, DeSoto and Lee counties in House District 76.

She’s running to succeed outgoing North Fort Myers Rep. Spencer Roach, a fellow Republican who announced that he will not seek re-election this November.

It won’t be the first time Oliver has sought public office. She successfully ran for the Charlotte Airport Authority in 2021 and still serves on the body today.

“As someone who has spent nearly their entire life growing up in this district, raising a family here, and managing a business, I know how important it is we have leaders who believe in the conservative principles that make Florida the envy of the nation,” she said in a statement Friday.

“I’m running for the State House because I know we must be vigilant in keeping Florida a beacon of freedom and opportunity for all, while addressing the challenges before us.  We need courageous, conservative leaders who will stand up for our strong borders, (parents’) rights, and economic opportunity in the face of continued rising inflation, all while investing in our waterways and water quality to keep our environment pristine.”

The daughter of Port Charlotte Republican Rep. Michael Grant, Oliver graduated from Charlotte High School and earned her bachelor’s degree in economics, with a minor in government, from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. She then moved to Washington to intern under Ken Feinberg, who at the time was administering the Sept. 11 Victims’ Compensation Fund.

After that, she earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida College of Law before beginning her legal career in Central Florida representing clients in civil, commercial, real property and government litigation.

She returned to Charlotte in 2012 to work as General Counsel of Ambitrans Ambulance, where she rapidly rose through and is now CEO.

In 2014, Rick Scott appointed her two years later to the Florida Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services.

She also serves as Executive Director of the Military Heritage Museum in Punta Gorda, where she lives.

Oliver is the first Republican to seek Roach’s HD 76 seat.

James Morris Blue is the sole Democrat running. Since filing for the race in October, he’s raised about $18,500.

___

Editors note: This report was updated to include information about Oliver’s familial background.