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Florida Senators being sworn in.
Tallahassee Trend
Florida's Freshman Lawmakers
Meet Florida's new crop of senators and house representatives. Each profile includes party, district, net worth and notable news.
House
The 120-member Florida House has 44 new members — 24 Democrats and 20 Republicans.
 Bruce Antone |
Bruce Antone (D), 52, consultant
District 46 — part of Orange County
Net Worth: $150,000
Notable: Antone served in the House from 2002-06.
 Halsey Beshears |
Halsey Beshears (R), 41, CFO, Simpson Nurseries; president, Total Landscape Supply
District 7 — Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla counties and part of Leon County
Net Worth: $619,765
Notable: Beshears was president of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association from 2011-12.
 Randolph Bracy III |
Randolph Bracy III (D), 35, director of business development, Workforce Advantage Academy, an Orange County charter school
District 45 — part of Orange County
Net Worth: $2,573
Notable: Bracy got his professional start working as a campaign strategist and political adviser to former Orange County Commissioner Homer Hartage, Orange County Commissioner Bill Segal, state Sen. Gary Siplin and U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.
 Mike Clelland |
Mike Clelland (D), 49, lawyer/retired firefighter
District 29 — part of Seminole County
Net Worth: $203,000
Notable: Clelland pulled off the biggest upset in Florida last November, when he defeated Rep. Chris Dorworth (R-Lake Mary), who was slated to become House Speaker for the 2015-16 legislative sessions. Clelland won by 146 votes.
 Neil Combee |
Neil Combee (R), 53, rancher and real estate and government affairs consultant, Republic Services Florida, a waste management company
District 39 — parts of Osceola and Polk counties
Net Worth: $517,674
Notable: Combee served 16 years as a Polk County commissioner and was on the governing board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District for seven years.
 Travis Cummings |
Travis Cummings (R), 40, owner/president of an employee benefits consulting firm
District 18 — parts of Clay County
Net Worth: $604,642
Notable: The former Clay County commissioner ran unopposed.
 Mark Danish |
Mark Danish (D), 58, teacher
District 63 — part of Hillsborough County
Net Worth: $239,254
Notable: Danish beat incumbent Republican Rep. Shawn Harrison of Tampa.
 Karen Castor Dentel |
Karen Castor Dentel (D), 44, teacher
District 30 — parts of Orange and Seminole counties
Net Worth: $265,893
Notable: Dentel, who is the sister of Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor and daughter of former USF President Betty Castor, beat incumbent Rep. Scott Plakon (R) in one of the biggest spending House races in the state.
 Manny Diaz Jr. |
Manny Diaz Jr. (R), 39, assistant principal
District 103 — parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties
Net Worth: (-$20,800)
Notable: A native of Hialeah, Diaz is no relation to the former Miami mayor who shares his name.
Next page, meet more new members of Florida's House.
