The Florida Legislature will have a new representative for District 82, where Liesa Priddy and Bill Poteet are battling it out in the Republican primary. The winner faces Democrat Arthur Boyer in the Nov. 3 general election.
This massive district includes some of the most iconic and recognizable preserves and parks in Florida, like the Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park.
District 82 is home to 199,878 residents, and the median age of people across the district is 39, according to the latest Census data.
Although the median household income is just above $79,000, the average per capita is less than half of that, at around $36,000.
Who is Liesa Priddy?
Liesa Priddy has extensive experience on the state level as she served on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, a wildlife protection agency with state constitution powers.
Priddy, 68, was appointed to the FWC board by then Gov. Rick Scott in 2012, and her tenure ended in December 2017.
Bill Poteet: What to know
Poteet is a Naples Realtor and owner of Poteet Properties, Inc. and has worked in the real estate industry for the past 40 years.
He says private property rights and reducing unnecessary, costly government restrictions are among his top priorities.
Poteet is the past president of the Naples Area Realtors Association and is also involved in numerous other social, industry and volunteer effort locally.
More about District 82
Much of the district is federal preserve lands, farming towns and open lands, some of which are being planned for massive new towns.
Census data says 20% of children 18 and younger meet the poverty threshold.
This part of Florida is heavily dominated by agricultural interests, and the demographics say 90% of the population was born in Latin America.
There are 77,168 housing units in District 82, with a home ownership rate of 75%, according to the latest Census data.
Chad Gillis is an environment reporter and can be reached by email at cgillis@news-press.co
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Priddy and Poteet vie for Florida District 82 seat. See election results
Reporting by Chad Gillis, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chad Gillis, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
