Republican Jessica Baker is seeking re-election in Florida House District 17, which covers the portion of Mandarin that is east of Old St. Augustine Road and Hood Landing Road, as well as a large portion of the Southside south of Beach Boulevard. She’ll face Democrat Bryson Morgan in November.
Because there is only one candidate from each party in the district, the race only appears on the general election ballot in November.
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News4Jax sent questionnaires to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically by party and are published exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4Jax staff.
| DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE |
Bryson Morgan
Occupation: Assistant General Manager of Pizza Hut
Age: 21
Family: Youngest Son of 3, Uncle.
Education: Atlantic Coast High School, 2021,
Currently online with the University of Alabama.
Political experience: Ran for Soil and Water Conservation District 5 in 2022, gained over 111,000 votes. Worked in Florida Politics since 2019 including Donna Deegan for Mayor, Donna Deegan for Congress, and many more races.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Affordable Housing and Insurance Costs: Insurance rates are through the roof, insurance companies are leaving the state at an alarming rate. With more and more hurricanes, which are become stronger and stronger, insurance companies don’t want to be liable for the damage. When the state can step in and ensure better drainage, to combat flooding, better dune protection, to prevent storm surge, we can ensure property insurance rates stay down and more competitiveness between companies happen.
Public Education: We are seeing an attack on our teachers, students, and public schools. Here in Duval County we are seeing the possibility of 30+ neighborhood schools being closed due to arbitrary numbers and data that doesn’t look at the true numbers. When we have neighborhood schools close, we are turning parents towards Charter and Private education as the only option. This is unacceptable.
Marginalized Groups: From members of the LGBTQ+ community, to women, and minority communities, we are seeing more and more attacks. From teachers being afraid to put a picture of their married spouse in their desks at work, to not being allowed to have a private conversation with one’s doctor, we are seeing more and more attacks that need to be addressed.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I promise to ALWAYS be available to constituents. No matter their race, gender identity, political affiliation, or anything else. By also giving another point of view in the state legislature I believe this will be tremendously valuable for the Florida People.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
That Floridians are worth fighting for, and that having a different opinion isn’t always a bad thing as long as one is willing to listen to you.
Campaign website: Brysonforduval.com
Campaign social media: X
Jessica Baker
Occupation: Member, Florida House of Representatives, 2022 to present
The Republican incumbent has not yet responded to email invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If any responses are received, they will be promptly posted in this space.
Campaign website: electjessicabaker.com
Campaign social media: None found