Statewide, FL—Today, Americans for Prosperity Action Florida (AFP Action FL) announced its third round of endorsements for the election season, bringing the total to 29 endorsed candidates this cycle so far. 

AFP Action FL will utilize its statewide base of dedicated grassroots activists to educate and mobilize voters in support of these principled leaders through digital and mail campaigns. 

AFP Action FL Senior Advisor, Skylar Zander, made the following statement: 

“Allowing Florida businesses, students, and families to thrive is possible through principled policy work in our legislature – that’s why we need these leaders in office. AFP Action FL will work with our grassroots activists to educate voters leading up to the election on how their voices will be represented through these candidates.”  

Endorsed Candidates

Gladyvette “Yvette” Benarroch (HD-81)

In the House, Benarroch will be a prominent voice on educational policies. As a charter school board member, she is qualified to handle key reforms to educational opportunities while safeguarding parents’ rights. And, as a small business owner Benarroach understands the burden of excessive occupational licensing rules, regulations, and taxation.

Richard Gentry (HD-27)   

Gentry’s time serving as Florida Public Counsel and as Legislative Counsel to the Florida Homebuilders Association has positioned him to become an impactful voice in the House. He is a promising leader on energy and regulatory issues where he aims to address high energy costs and reduce regulatory burdens. 

Sam Greco (HD-19) 

Greco is a rising leader expected to work on top issues like cutting red tape regulations and expanding Florida’s Education Saving Account (ESA) program. In the House, Greco will also prioritize lowering barriers that make it more difficult for Florida businesses to thrive and addressing growing insurance costs.

“JJ” Grow (HD-23)   

Grow is a small business owner and advocates for deregulation and reducing taxes to keep Florida’s economy strong. He is a promising leader in education where he is expected to champion expanding learning opportunities at the K-12 and postsecondary levels.  

Jennifer Kincart Jonsson (HD-49)

In the House, Kincart Jonsson will support conservative values and prioritize transparency in government. She will prevent rate-setting agencies from ballooning housing insurance costs. She will prioritize securing our border and fighting inflation by cutting taxes. And, Kincart Jonsson will empower parents to be involved in their child’s education.

State Rep. Randall Scott “Randy” Maggard (HD-54)

Rep. Maggard is a proven policy leader driving reforms on key issues including education, health care, labor, and regulations. He is a needed voice in the House when it comes to expanding educational opportunities that support students’ individual learning needs. In addition, Rep. Maggard has stood behind efforts to reduce overburdensome building permitting regulations in order to lower housing costs in the state.

State Sen. Debbie Mayfield (HD-32)

Sen. Mayfield has demonstrated her policy expertise in the Senate on core issues such as reforming Certificate of Need laws that limit the health care marketplace and competition. Her legislative leadership will be beneficial in the House as a voice in reducing overburdensome and unnecessary regulations that limit Florida’s business community.

Danny Nix (HD-75) 

In the House, Nix is anticipated to be a policy leader on top issues for Floridians such as tax reform, expanding education, and protecting free speech. Notably, his dedication to reducing and eliminating burdensome and outdated taxes such as business rent tax can help the business community prosper.  

Vanessa Oliver (HD-76) 

Oliver will be a valued addition to the House with her unique experience in the health care space where she will work to expand access and affordability by allowing medical professionals to practice to the extent of their training and work across state lines. She is also a principled leader on issues such as lowering the cost of insurance and protecting free speech.  

State Rep. Susan Plasencia (HD-37)  

Rep. Plasencia is a proven policy champion on issues such as education and health care. As the lead sponsor of key ESA legislation, Rep. Plasencia demonstrated how critical her vote is when driving transformative change in education. She also values reducing occupational licensure requirements for health care professionals and improving public safety as well as the justice system. 

State Rep. Keith Truenow (SD-13)  

An Air Force veteran and farmer, Rep. Truenow would take his talents of fiscal conservativism and cutting red tape from the House to Senate to further ensure Florida is open for business. Rep. Truenow has also dutifully supported expanded ESA legislation to provide new pathways for vocational training.  

CLICK HERE and HERE to view AFP Action FL’s previous endorsements.

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Atlanta, Georgia—Today Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) threw its support behind candidates running in contested primaries in Georgia.

State Senator Kay Kirkpatrick (SD-32) as well as Speaker Pro Temp Jan Jones and State Reps. Todd Jones (HD-25), Chuck Martin (HD-49), Lauren Daniel (HD-117), David Jenkins (HD-136) will have AFP Action’s backing in their primary races.

These lawmakers have earned AFPA’s endorsement for their commitment to protecting Georgia’s taxpayers, lowering barrier to work and employment, expanding education freedom for Georgia’s students, and supporting reforms to healthcare policy that give Georgians a personal option in health care.

AFP Action Senior Advisor Tony West issued the following statement after announcing the endorsed candidates:

“Georgians have seen amazing progress this year as the legislature embraced transformative policies to advance education freedom, increase access to healthcare, and remove barriers to employment and entrepreneurship. These champions helped get good policy to the governor’s desk, but they aren’t going to stop there, or rest on their laurels. We have more work to do to make Georgia freer and more prosperous. We need them to stay in Atlanta and keep moving freedom forward in the Peach State.”

Background

Senator Kay Kirkpatrick

With her extensive background in medicine, Senator Kirkpatrick utilized her expertise again this term to advance policies that give Georgians a personal option. Most prominently, she served on the Senate’s Certificate of Need Reform Study Committee and was a credible and stalwart voice for the need for repealing this outdated regulation.

Rep. Jan Jones

Speaker Pro Temp Jones was integral in building support in the House for transformative education policy, Senate Bill 233. Big policy change requires top tier leadership, and Jones’ leadership on this bill contributed significantly to the bill’s eventual passage.

Rep. Todd Jones

As the House sponsor of Senate Bill 233, Rep. Jones was critical in pushing forward this important piece of legislation to empower parents to have more control over their child’s education. Additionally, he was the House sponsor for Senate Bill 429, the Small Business Protection Act which would provide the legislature with more oversight on the negative impacts regulation cane have on businesses.

Rep. Chuck Martin

As a member of the House Regulated Industries Committee, Rep. Martin has developed an expertise and been a leading voice on the need for smart regulatory policy, including occupational licensure reform, like with his sponsorship of House Bill 155. Martin is also a taxpayer champion, consistently speaking for the taxpayer and being willing to question the wisdom of expensive tax expenditures that are awarded to specific businesses or industries at the expense of the average taxpayer.

Rep. Lauren Daniel

In her first term, Rep. Daniel has shown leadership on important issues. After Senate Bill 233 failed in the House in 2023, she was one of three representatives to attend a press conference encouraging the House to continue to pursue this important legislation. Additionally, Rep. Daniel has spoken out on the need for certificate of need reform, specifically for allowing birth centers to be exempted. This policy change was included in the CON reform bill, House Bill 1339.

Rep. David Jenkins

Rep. Jenkins has been outspoken in his support of empowering people and limiting government.  A prime example of that was his sponsorship of House Bill 212 to lower occupational licensure barriers. While this bill didn’t pass, his efforts in 2023 set the stage for a similar bill to earn final passage in 2024, Senate Bill 354.

Grassroots Groups Resolves to Continue Support through May Runoff

Atlanta, Georgia—Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) today congratulated Sean Knox for a strong finish in his special election race.

Knox will go on to a runoff against Carmen Rice on May 7.

AFP Action Senior Advisor Tony West issued the following statement after the returns were counted:

“AFP Action congratulates Sean Knox on his narrow victory to represent Georgia’s 139^th state house district. As the runoff approaches, AFP Action remains committed to sending Knox to Atlanta to champion educational freedom, economic opportunity, and health care reforms that will improve life for Georgians across the Peach State. Between now and the runoff, AFP Action will continue to knock doors and make calls to push Knox across the finish line.”

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SPRINGFIELD, IL – Tonight, Chris Balkema (SD-53) and Regan Deering (HD-88), Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) endorsed candidates, won their respective Republican nominations to represent Illinois in the state’s General Assembly.

Upon the race calls for Balkema and Deering, AFP Action Senior Advisor Jason Heffley released the following statement:

“A pillar of Grundy County, Chris Balkema deeply understands the struggles facing Illinois families and the need for a thriving, bottom-up economy. Balkema has the experience to enact real reform in Springfield and we congratulate him on his primary victory.

“Regan Deering has a proven track record of serving her community and fighting to create a more prosperous Illinois. Deering’s experience and leadership are needed in the legislature to check the inflationary policies coming out of Springfield and we congratulate her on tonight’s victory.”

BACKGROUND:

AFP Action has acquired the data from outreach to more than 8 million people to bring new voters into the primary process and ensure we elect better candidates. Those insights will direct the activities of the largest grassroots operation in the country that is ready to knock on doors to bring voters to the polls and win support for Balkema and Deering. AFP Action invests extensively in mail, digital, and connected-television campaigns to lay the foundation for the one-on-one conversations by grassroots advocates that are often the difference-maker in any close race. In 2022, AFP and AFP Action engaged in 457 races, knocking on more than 7 million doors, delivering over 100 million pieces of mail, and reaching millions more voters through phone and email.

Atlanta, Georgia—Americans for Prosperity Action today announced its backing of Sean Knox in the special election to replace the late Representative Richard Smith in Georgia’s 139^th House District.

The local businessman and first-time candidate earned AFP Action’s support for education freedom, regulatory reform, and advancing health care policies that create a personal option for Georgians.

After announcing the endorsement, AFP Action Senior Advisor Tony West gave the following statement:

“AFP Action is excited to endorse Sean Knox in this special election. Georgians are ready for the General Assembly to adopt transformative policy. By ensuring that Sean Knox makes it across the finish line next month, Georgians will be that much closer to securing education freedom, economic opportunity, and health care reforms that will make the Peach State a freer and more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family.”

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