Dear Friends;

    In 1998 Lisa Carlton ran for the State Senate in District 23.  I took her place in Florida House of Representative for District 70.  I had a tough race that year with 5 people in the Republican primary.  I won that primary, a run-off election and the general election.  Three campaigns for one prize!  But it was worth it and it was my great pleasure to serve as your representative for eight years.  In 2006 my term was over.

In 2008 Lisa Carlton’s term as our senator will be over.  Once again, I am running to replace her in the Senate seat as I did when she left the House.

My family and I have lived in Venice for 30 years.  All of my sons, Mark, Bryan and Jamie Detert, graduated from Venice High and still live in our community with their families.  I think that my family probably wants the same things for our great state that your family wants:  a clean, safe, environment, good jobs, an education system that benefits their children and the community at large.  They want to have homeowners insurance and property taxes that are reasonable and manageable so that they can stay in the state that they grew up in and love.

Those are the things that I have fought for in Tallahassee.  The economic climate in our state has worsened since I left in 2006.  I look forward to returning to Tallahassee to continue to fight for you.  If you read my background, credentials, and accomplishments, I think you will agree that no one is better qualified to serve you in the tough times ahead.