Florida's attorney general is a statewide elected office and member of the Cabinet. Current Attorney General Pam Bondi is not running for re-election because of term limits.)
Democrat Sean Shaw and Republican Ashley Moody won their party primaries in August. These two and NPA candidate Jeffrey Marc Siskind are on the November general election ballot.
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Read News Service of Florida report on the candidates and scroll down to read about the three candidates.
Sean Shaw
Age: 40
Candidate's family: Single
Occupation: Attorney
Education: Princeton University, AB, Politics, 2000; University of Florida Levin College of Law 2003
Political experience: Current State Representative District 61, elected 2016
Summarize your political platform in 10 words or less.
A fighter for the people, not the powerful.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
1. Putting a stop to the epidemic of gun violence in our state by enacting common sense firearm safety reforms such as banning assault weapons & high capacity magazines, instituting universal background checks, and allowing our local communities the flexibility they need to find solutions that keep their citizens safer.
2. Fighting the opioid epidemic by taking on the pharmaceutical companies whose dishonest and deceptive trade practices helped fuel this crisis, as well as targeting more resources for treatment of those suffering from addiction.
3. Protecting the civil rights of every Floridian no matter where they are from, which God they worship, or who they love.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I have a unique background in protecting consumers, both in private practice and in public service, that directly applies to the job of Attorney General. As a private attorney, I have helped Floridians fight back against their insurance companies when those companies refuse to honor their policies, aided those with defective Chinese drywall to get the settlements they deserve, and worked to help those affected by the BP oil spill. Under former CFO Alex Sink, I served as Insurance Consumer Advocate for the state, where I led the process of negotiating lower rates for homeowners, pushed for faster response times from insurers after emergencies, and championed for rates that were fair and justified. During my time as a State Representative, I've pushed for smart criminal justice reform, sponsored legislation to end discrimination against the LGBT community, and fought for common sense gun safety laws. As Attorney General, my main job will be protecting Floridians from those seeking to do them harm. I am the only candidate in the race with the professional and public sector experience to step into the job on day one.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would hope to be remembered as an Attorney General who fought for the needs of the people of Florida every single day that I am in office.
Website: www.seanshaw.com
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter
Ashley Moody
Age: 43
Candidate's family: Husband, Justin; Children, Brandon and Connor
Occupation: Former Judge and Federal Prosecutor
Education: Plant City High School, High School Diploma; University of Florida, bachelors and masters degrees in accounting; University of Florida College of Law, law degree; Stetson University College of Law, Masters of Law in International Law
Political experience: Former Judge
Summarize your political platform in 10 words or less.
Conservative Republican running for Attorney General.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
In addition to steadfastly supporting the men and women of law enforcement in their mission, Florida's next Attorney General will have to tackle the opioid crisis, elder abuse, and human trafficking. We lose fifteen people every day in Florida to overdose deaths, we are third worst in the nation for human trafficking and we continue to see a rise in elder abuse cases. It is important that the next Attorney General has experience working with state and federal agencies prosecuting difficult cases in order to make significant headway on these issues. As a former federal prosecutor and judge, I have the experience and the passion to tackle the opioid epidemic, human trafficking and elder abuse.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I am the only candidate in this race that has the experience necessary to be an effective and successful Attorney General. I started my legal career at Holland and Knight defending businesses, served as a federal prosecutor in Jacksonville and Tampa, and then presided as a circuit court judge, both as a trial judge and an appellate judge over the county court. Prior to running for the position of Attorney General, I also taught the role as part of a Florida Criminal Procedure curriculum at Stetson University College of Law. These broad based experiences will allow me to be an effective Attorney General from day one.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
Preserving and protecting the rule of law and defending our Constitution.
Website: www.electashleymoody.com
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter
Jeffrey Marc Siskind
He is a Wellington-based attorney and has been practicing law since 1997. He has been admitted to the Florida, Maryland, District of Columbia and United States Virgin Islands bars.
This candidate has not responded to the News4Jax survey.
Website: votesiskindag.com/