Florida House District 23: Incumbent, challenger share priorities, differ on approach

Voters in Florida House District 23 will decide whether to return Republican incumbent JJ Grow to Tallahassee or send Republican challenger Tod Cloud, a retired Florida Highway Patrol trooper, to represent Citrus County and part of Marion County.

While both candidates identified affordability, protecting Florida's springs, homeowners insurance and constituent service as top priorities, they offered different ideas about the role state government should play in addressing those issues.

Both candidates recently met with the Chronicle Editorial Board.

Grow, an Inverness businessman completing his first term in the House, said his effectiveness comes from building relationships in Tallahassee and delivering results through legislation and state funding.

"You have to build relationships," Grow said. "No one goes to Tallahassee and it becomes a one-person show. It's not the way it works. You have to deal with the politics of it, which can be tough. And then you'll also have to convince other people. You have to be able to walk into a committee hearing and stand up in front of 25 other representatives and talk about your bill and answer questions about your bill in order to get your bill passed."

Cloud said his decades in law enforcement and youth mentoring have prepared him to serve residents, adding that his campaign is driven by community service rather than politics.

"I'm not going in for the money," Cloud said. "I'm going in it because I care."

The candidates agreed Florida homeowners continue to struggle with rising insurance costs but proposed different solutions.

Grow defended recent legislative reforms, saying tort reform has helped stabilize the insurance market while attracting additional companies to the state. He also said insurers should provide premium reductions to homeowners who strengthen their homes through state-funded mitigation programs.

"I get mad because the state spends taxpayers' money to harden homes and people don't get a reduction in their insurance," Grow said, while also saying reforms that bring form competition to the marketplace have been effective.

Cloud argued the Legislature has not done enough. Rather than steering homeowners away from Citizens Property Insurance, he said, the state-backed insurer should become the primary option for residents seeking affordable coverage.

"Citizens shouldn't be the last choice," Cloud said. "It should be the first choice."

The candidates also differed on state involvement in local government.

Grow said he generally supports allowing county commissioners to make local decisions, even when he disagrees with them, while recognizing some statewide standards are necessary.

"I've never been one that wants to take away county rule," Grow said.

Cloud opposed additional unfunded state mandates on local governments.

"If we're going to mandate something, then we should come up with the money for the counties to actually do something," he said.

The candidates each offered their perspectives on overhauling Florida's property tax system.

Grow said he has not decided whether he will support the measure, saying any changes must preserve funding for public safety and education while recognizing homeowners' concerns over rising tax bills.

"It's a big decision," Grow said. "We have to make sure that we're supporting public safety."

Cloud said he supports targeted tax relief for seniors living on fixed incomes but opposes broad property tax cuts that would reduce revenue for local governments. He also said the Legislature should avoid imposing additional unfunded mandates on counties.

"If we're going to mandate something, then we should come up with the money for the counties to actually do something," Cloud said.

Both opposed locating a data center in Holder.

Grow supported legislation requiring future data centers to provide their own electrical infrastructure and use reclaimed water when available, while saying such facilities belong only in heavy industrial areas with local community support. He also said that Holder was never a good fit and that a data center would be a better fit where it could use reclaimed water or desal Gulf water.

Cloud said a data center would be more appropriate near the Duke Energy complex at Port Citrus, where it could draw cooling water from the Gulf rather than groundwater.

If reelected, Grow said, his priorities include continuing to secure funding for environmental restoration, healthcare, agriculture and public safety while expanding his influence in House leadership.

Cloud said he would focus on protecting Florida's waterways, improving affordability, supporting seniors and ensuring state government works more closely with local communities.