I got my mail in ballot this week for the November 3rd election, and you better believe I'm voting HARD this year. There's A LOT of tricky stuff on the ballot this year, so I hope people will take the time to research the candidates and issues carefully. This is not a time to just "wing it" in the voting booth without having studied. Anyway, here are the things that were on my ballot, how I voted, and why I voted that way. Your decision is your own, of course, but maybe seeing how I thought about it will help you make your choices.
US Senator-
Angie Nixon (DEM) – She has been outspoken against
corruption and the usurpation of power by the super wealthy, and has been outspoken
for the rights of working people and the environment. Also, she is not related
to Richard Nixon. Her opponent, incumbent Ashley Moody (REP), is a ultra conservative partisan operative who pulls strings to keep the powerful in power and thwart popular initiatives like marijuana legalization, etc.
Representative for Congress, District 19-
Victor Arias (DEM) – He came from poverty to become a lawyer
and civil rights advocate and he seems genuinely committed to empowering everyday
people in the community he represents. His republican opponent Jim Schwartzel
is a Fox News station owner and Trump-branded propagandist using “hatriotism”
enrich himself and offering little of real value to those he proposes to represent.
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Florida-
David Jolly and Gwen Graham (DEM) – I was hoping for someone
a little further left, but I think Jolly will manage important issues like
affordability, infrastructure, public education, and environmental protection
much better than MAGA republican contender Byron Donalds. I saw once saw Donalds give a talk in the atrium of the building where I work and he said, "GULF OF AMERICA" to the cheers and chuckles of all the rich guys in suits and fancy ladies with pearls. Eww.
Attorney General-
Jose Javier Rodriguez (DEM) – He seems set to fight for
consumer and labor rights and fight AGAINST the corrupt and powerful. This is
the opposite of previous Florida attorneys general like Pam Bondi who protected Jeffrey Epstein, and incumbent James Uthmeier, who protected DeSantis’ corruption and
tried to rise to MAGA stardom with cruel, taxpayer-money-wasting stunts like Alligator
Alcatraz.
Chief Financial Officer-
Annette Taddeo (DEM)- She has business experience but also
seems to be a genuine advocate for non-rich-people’s
rights. I think she’ll be much tougher on corrupt and exploitative businesses and
wasteful government projects than her opponent, republican incumbent Blaise Ingoglia,
has been. Ingoglia makes a lot of noise about cutting government waste, but
really he’s just been squeezing the hell out of low level civil employees while
letting government big shots spend unlimited amounts of taxpayer money on
stupid stuff like Alligator Alcatraz.
Commissioner of Agriculture
Joey Mendoza Atkins (DEM) - Mendoza Atkins is a long shot
against much better funded and politically connected opponent, incumbent Wilton
Simpson (REP). But one of the reasons I am voting for Atkins is because he has
promised to actually follow the pollution-control recommendations of the Blue
Green Algae Task force, which includes some scientists
I admire. His opponent Simpson has also received hundreds of thousands of dollarsfrom the notorious “Big Sugar” lobby and energy monopoly Florida Power andLight.
State Senator District 28
David Silverberg (DEM) – He is a smart journalist and editor who has
been an insightful critic of government corruption and foolishness. His
opponent Lauren Uhlich Melo (REP) is a rich Naples real estate broker with a
TERRIBLE environmental record in the senate, always voting against stronger
environmental protections and pushing bills that would expand urban sprawl.
State Representative District 80
William Moskal (DEM) – This guy seems smart and legitimately
concerned with working in the interests of the district, protecting the
environment and people’s rights instead of just fawning over the next big
development scheme. His opponent, Adam Botana (REP) was responsible for a
scheme to slice a chunk off of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve for a huge
luxury marina development. Angry citizens shot down that scheme but Botana
needs to pay for it by losing his seat.
Supervisor of Elections
Chris Vignieri (DEM) – Vignieri has lots of legal knowledge
and experience navigating tricky but important issues as a lawyer for the Department
of Children and Families, Suncoast Region. His opponent Jenna Persons-Mulicka (REP)
is part of a rich political power couple (husband is a good ol’ boy Lee County Commissioner
and they have a huge development / construction business) with all kinds of
legal and financial scandals. I can hardly think of a worse person than Persons-Mulicka
to supervise elections, so Vignieri is an obviously better choice to ensure elections
are fair and by-the-book.
Board of County Commissioners District 2
Elliot Taylor (DEM) – Youngish family guy (and FGCU alumnus)
who has rightfully called out the dumb aspects of Lee County’s “business as
usual” of polluting, poor infrastructure planning, and helping the rich before
the poor. Taylor’s webpage makes a big point about protecting wetlands and
ensuring that Lee’s “Conservation 20/20” program is maintained as voters
intended. His opponent, curmudgeon incumbent Cecil Pendergrass (REP), always
votes pro-development, anti-environment and is basically just a rubber stamp
for special interests. Out with the old, in with the new.
Board of County Commissioners District 4
DeMaria “Princess” Artis (DEM) – Overall she seems more
responsible and practical about environmental and infrastructure planning than
her opponent Brian Hamman (REP). Hamman is an ideological conservative
who always seems to have his head in the sand about how things are really going
and ALWAYS chooses sprawling development and special interests over
environmental protection. Artis should be better.
Retain Justice of the Supreme Court Carlos G. Muniz?
NO – Muniz’ has been appointed to various judgeships by
conservative idealogues like Jeb Bush, Ron DeSantis, and Donald Trump, and has
earned an ugly reputation for always siding with the rich, powerful, and
corrupt, from football player rapists to the scammers behind “Trump University.” Muniz is a tool
for protecting rich sleazeballs. Let’s throw him out.
No. 1 Constitutional Amendment Article III, Section 19 –
Budget Stabilization Fund
NO – We should keep the maximum allowable amount in this
fund at 10%. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters (LWV), and the Florida Education
Association (FEA) are both opposed to this amendment, and they are usually good,
sober thinkers about this kind of thing. I think voting no will help prevent
the legislature from doing weird reckless stuff with our taxpayer money.
No. 2 Constitutional Amendment Article VII, Section 3,
Article XII – Exemption of tangible personal property on agricultural land from
taxation.
NO – This one is written to sound like a favor to farmers,
but in practice I think it would be more like a tax shelter for wealthy land barons. LWV and FEA
are opposed, too.
No. 3 Constitutional Amendment Article VII, Section 4, 6,
and 9, Article XII – Increased homestead exemption; Lower cap on increases in
non-homestead property assessments
NO – This one is another wolf in sheep's clothing. It is likely to really handicap local government services
and is opposed by a wide diversity of groups, including police and fire organizations,
civil engineer associations, school associations, etc.
County Charter Amendment Referendums
Referendum Providing for the Structure of the County
Legislative Branch
YES – This would make it so instead of voting for all Lee
County Board of County Commissioners, residents would just vote for the
representative for their own district of the county. This will help ensure that
individual districts’ local interests are represented. The LWV supports this. https://my.lwv.org/florida/lee-county/voting/single-member-districts
County Charter Revision Relating to Setting the Number of
Consecutive Terms of Elected Constitutional Officers
NO – This proposal would limit the county sheriff, clerk of
courts, property appraiser, tax collector and supervisor of elections to 3
consecutive 4 year terms. That SOUNDS good, but really the problem isn’t that
these officers are staying too long, it’s that they’re often lousy in the first
place. Shills for special interests are a dime a dozen and easy to replace,
while genuinely dedicated public servants are harder to find and potentially worth keeping
around for longer. In theory we should be able to vote lousy ones out after a
single term anyway, and if we’re not doing that there’s a deeper problem than
term limits. Righteous firebrand Marsha Ellis, who is married to one of my
buddies at work, has pointed out that this charter revision is a trick so the county can look like it’s cleaning house without really cleaning house. So,
no.
Mosquito Control District Referendum – MCD to include all of
Lee County
NO - This would merge the Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District with the overall county district. People on Fort Myers Beach like their local MCD as it is, and it seems to be run economically and effectively. https://www.fortmyersbeachtalk.com/news/community-news/2026/08/fort-myers-beach-mosquito-control-district-under-threat-from-states-merger-bill/ Also, this is being pushed by unscrupulous State Representative Adam Botana (the guy who tried to slice a chunk off of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve), and there is plausible speculation that he’s after the FMB MCD property for another of his get-rich schemes.
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