Jacob Ogles
A race for an open House seat in the Ocala area has candidates prioritizing consumer advocacy and religious values.
Marion County business owner Stephen Shives jumped into the House District 27 race more than a year ago, touting a background as a pastor. Earlier this year, Astor lawyer Richard Gentry, a former Florida Public Counsel, threw his own hat into the ring. Beckie Sirolli, a retired police lieutenant, rounds out the Primary field.
Gentry has collected several endorsements, including from every Sheriff in the district and from local firefighter unions. He has also stressed his background advocating for consumers and the state’s ratepayers before the Public Service Commission. That could be an especially valuable background as the Legislature looks to address a homeowners insurance crisis.
“Now, more than ever, Floridians need an advocate to protect their purses as well as their values. I will be that conservative voice,” he said.
Shives has focused on cultural issues. The Summerfield Republican, who owns trailer manufacturer Runaway Mini-Campers, said his background as a business owner gives him an understanding on managing state resources. A look at his campaign website details support for gun rights and opposition to a “woke agenda.”
“Today, what is evil is considered good, and what is good is considered evil,” his website states. “I am not going down without a fight, and with your help, we can take a stand against a nation that is hell-bent on destroying itself.”
Sirolli said her law enforcement background sets her apart. She was trained by Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Litz, an officer killed on duty during a wellness check in 2004. While that gave a clear understanding of the stakes that police face, she said Litz also taught her to believe in herself and how to succeed in a field where many questioned her participation.
That has helped in this race, she said, as some pressured her to bow out based on concerns that she would split the vote.
“It’s not always a Ross Perot situation,” she said. “The people who vote for me weren’t going to vote for either one of you guys. Now I am in it to win it.”
Shives has pushed back at rumors himself, sharing testimony from former church members to counter suggestions that he had stolen from Lighthouse Ministries in South Carolina. He has also come under fire for being the only legislative candidate in Florida to accept a contribution from a political committee that only endorses men running against women and that exists under the belief that women should not hold positions of power.
Gentry, meanwhile, has often been cast as a Tallahassee insider over the course of the race. Despite years in the role of a public advocate defending against utility rate hikes, he has accepted funding from a number of lobbies associated with power providers.
But political connections have helped him raise the most in contributions for his campaign.
Through Aug, 2, Gentry spent more than $159,000, with his Friends of Richard Gentry burning through another nearly $8,000, and both entitles have thousands still in the bank as the Republican Primary draws near.
Shives, by comparison, spent about $125,000 from his campaign account, with $100,000 of that supplemented by a candidate loan.
Sirolli has spent more than $16,000, about a third of that out-of-pocket.
The winner of the Aug. 20 Republican Primary will advance to the General Election and face Democrats Andy Ferrari and Libertarian Dennis Simpson Jr.
But the district leans heavily Republican, with McClain facing no opposition the last time he was up for vote in 2022. More than 70% of voters in HD 27 backed re-election efforts by Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Ron DeSantis, and more than 65% of voters there in 2020 voted for Republican Donald Trump for President over Democrat Joe Biden.
