By Bryan Boggiano
While voters prepare to voice their choice for governor, house representative, and senator, one race close to home is getting a little more attention.
The 96th district — formerly 97 –includes parts of Coral Springs, Tamarac, and Sunrise. The state legislature removed Plantation from the boundaries following redistricting.
Jenna Hague, the Republican challenger who is a financial controller in the development and construction field, faces incumbent Democratic Rep. Dan Daley (D-Coral Springs) for State House District 97.
Ahead of the election, Coral Springs Talk reached out to Hague. Although the 2022 election will be her first time running as a candidate, she has volunteered with the local Republican Party to familiarize herself with local politics and constituents since 2017.
As the mother of two young children, Hague said that school choice is the No. 1 issue for her. Other priority issues, she said, include integrity, safety, and the economy.
Hague said that at the local level, there are amazing kids and teachers in Broward County. At the state level, she said that although Florida is doing a great job for school choice, she would like to see the state do better.
Across the state, she said that money should follow the students rather than institutions.
One initiative she proposed was creating legislation for funds to go to a universal education savings account that would benefit all students. Currently, she stated these funds only help those who experienced bullying, have special needs, or are financially underserved.
“Not every child learns the same way,” she said. “I think we should be doing what’s best for the child.”
Hague also briefly addressed legislation banning critical race theory in K-12 schools, which is not in the curriculum, and the Parental Rights in Education Act. Although she did not take a hardline stance on either issue, she endorsed more parental involvement.
“At the end of the day, I do think that parents have the right to be involved in their children’s education, and they have a right to know what is going on in their children’s schools,” she said.
On integrity, Hague believes transparency is necessary for Broward County institutions and politics, citing controversies related to the Broward County School Board, including the grand jury report.
She believes voters deserve elected officials they can trust to be upfront and honest. Hague would work with local and state colleagues to promote these values.
For safety, Hague believes in increasing school security so that every school has the same level of protection.
To promote school safety and safety at large, she stated that police need the support, training, and resources to protect their communities.
“We should be upholding our police officers,” she said.
On the economy, housing was a significant issue that Hague highlighted, with high mortgages, homeowners insurance rates, and property insurance rates taking the forefront.
She also cited issues related to policyholders who lose coverage if they install solar panels on their roofs.
To cut electricity costs, some homeowners resorted to using solar panels on their roofs, only for their providers to drop them. Hague said that she would promote legislation that benefits the policyholders and insurance companies to cut costs and stabilize the market and resolve these issues.
She would look at loopholes and aim to fix them, including the issues with solar panels and other roofing-related concerns.
Hague also stated that cracking down on insurance fraud would benefit both consumers and providers.
The issue with housing and homeowners insurance could take higher priority in the legislature, depending on the effects of Hurricane Ian on the industry.
Hague also briefly discussed issues about special districts, home rule and certain preemptions, saying that she would look at each on a case-by-case basis.
After the vote counting and certification process, she said she would accept the election results.
For Hague, she would be a representative who would work on behalf of her constituents and discuss important issues.
“[Being a state representative] is making sure that [my constituents’] voices are heard and that they feel like they have representation at the state level with things that are going on,” she said.
Related: Candidate Rep. Dan Daley Discusses Issues Ahead of State House District 96 Election
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