Janelle Irwin Taylor
Democrat Michael Warner, a Tampa native and grassroots organizer, has filed to challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Linda Chaney in House District 61.
Not surprisingly given his professional work, he’s planning a grassroots campaign he says is focused on “rebuilding trust, addressing affordability, and delivering for families who feel left behind.”
The son of a retired U.S. Air Force veteran and a nurse, Warner attended American University, earning a degree in political science and justice. He also completed training at Georgetown University and the Charles Hamilton Houston Pre-Law Institute, according to his candidate bio on his campaign website.
Werner previously worked as a paralegal before beginning work as an organizer.
“Everywhere I go in House District 61, I hear the same concerns: skyrocketing property insurance, rising healthcare costs, and families struggling just to get by,” Warner said. “I’m running for State Representative so our neighbors finally have someone on their side who will fight to make the government work for them — not corporations.”
Warner plans to prioritize voter registration, neighborhood engagement, and grassroots organizing to disrupt what he describes as Tallahassee’s status quo.
“House District 61 deserves a representative who listens and fights for everyday people. This campaign is about rebuilding together, and it starts with neighbors talking to neighbors, block by block,” he said.
Additional areas of priority include addressing predatory property insurance practices, expanding access to affordable health care, investing in resilient infrastructure and advancing “smart criminal justice reform.”
Warner and Chaney are so far the only candidates filed for the race.
Warner will face a difficult campaign in a district that favors Republicans. Nearly 39% of the district’s voters are Republicans, compared to just over 30% who are Democrats. Another nearly 28% of voters aren’t registered with a political party, according to the most recent L2 voter data.
Chaney won her most recent election in 2024 with more than 56% of the vote over Democrat Nathan Bruemmer. She similarly secured 56% of the vote in 2022 and just shy of 53% in 2020 when she first won the seat, flipping it by defeating Democrat Jennifer Webb.
