Party: Democrat
Age: I don’t believe age is relevant. Judgment and vision matter.
Education: Highest level, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Occupation: Executive Director, Balanced Justice Network . It is a criminal justice reform organization.
Campaign website: evelynforgovernor.org
Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race were asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.
If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?
1. Healthcare: Uninsured rate is 10.9%. Solution: Ban medical debt. Create Florida Direct Care — pay doctors directly for people with no insurance.
2. Housing: Rents up 39% since 2019. Solution: Fund affordable housing via fees on hyperscale data centers and large companies not providing affordable healthcare. Create rental voucher program.
3. Environment: Everglades, water and land threatened. Solution: Empower environmental advocacy groups to protect water, land and Everglades.
According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?
Florida families are crushed by property insurance and rent. A 2022 report found insurers’ affiliates made nearly $14 billion while executives paid themselves $680 million in dividends. I will eliminate the middlemen who are the affiliates. For renters, rents are up 39% since 2019. I will create a Florida State Rental Voucher Program and fund affordable housing via mandatory fees on hyperscale data centers, large companies, luxury vessels over $10 million and luxury real estate over $20 million.
Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes, and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions?
No. Property taxes pay for essential services we all benefit from. The major threat is property insurance, not property taxes. Too many in Tallahassee avoid facing insurance companies by pushing property tax cuts instead. The Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times exposed the affiliate scheme where excessive profits are made on the backs of homeowners while rates soar. I will eliminate the middlemen who are the affiliates. I will tackle taxes by eliminating inefficiency and potential fraud.
Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond?
Florida utility regulators need to focus on protecting families, not dividends. My administration will direct a cap on utility profits, ban rate increases caused by hyperscale data centers, and add solar tax breaks for homeowners. Hyperscale data centers must pay full cost of electricity, water, roads, sewer, pipelines — not one dollar shifted to ratepayers or taxpayers. My administration will ban hyperscale data center NDAs, require mandatory fees to fund the Florida Affordable Housing Fund.
What is the single biggest issue the government should address when it comes to public education in Florida?
Education: Money is being pulled out of public schools and sent to charter, private, and other schools. This directly impacts public schools. Every public school should have the funding, teachers, and tools to succeed. I will invest in early reading programs and support teachers. Every child in public school should get breakfast, lunch, and snacks. No questions asked. I will also use empty school space to create daycare to kindergarten programs so every child starts ready to learn.
Do you agree with the current federal and state governments’ approaches to immigration enforcement? Why or why not?
Florida must distinguish between state and federal authority. The state should protect people within its borders without breaking federal law. Cooperation with federal agencies should be limited to actual public safety threats, not rounding up neighbors who have lived here for decades. State resources should not be used to target or roundup immigrant communities. People First, Not Politics.
Do you believe abortion restrictions in Florida should be more strict, less strict or stay the same?
These are challenging questions with no easy answers. But they should be made by patients and their doctors, not politicians. I don’t believe government should run your life. I believe it should work for your life. People First, Not Politics.
What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida?
The biggest environmental issue is protecting Florida’s Everglades, land, water, and farmlands. Overdevelopment and corporate exploitation are real threats. Hyperscale data centers threaten our environment on multiple levels: water, noise, and disrupting natural habitats. My administration will empower environmental advocacy groups to protect our Everglades, water, land, and natural habitats from these threats.
This Voters Guide was produced by the News Collaborative of Central Florida, a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida.