Doug Bankson

Age: 62

Registered political party: Republican 

Where he lives: Apopka  

Where he works: Founder and Senior Pastor of Victory Church World Outreach Center in Apopka, Florida

Prior work experience: Youth pastor for Cornerstone World Outreach located in Sioux City, Iowa

Prior political experience: Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2022, reelected subsequently

Platform: According to his website, his platform includes addressing the rising costs of living, securing educational opportunities for all children equally, attracting the best and the brightest through economic development, guarding our local environment, supporting first responders and protecting the rights of parents to raise their children according to their conscience. 

Why they are running: According to Bankson’s “Why I’m running” page on his website, he is running for re-election because his life has been defined by service, leadership and responsibility. Motivated by concern for Florida’s future and the well-being of the next generation, his website says he believes families are facing rising costs, housing struggles, government overreach and growing threats to parental rights. He sees this moment as an opportunity to restore common sense, fiscal responsibility and a government that truly serves the people. Above all, he is running to protect Florida’s children and continue being a strong voice for freedom and community values in Tallahassee.

Campaign finance report: Raised a total of $84,949.06

Summary of sponsored bills and votes, via BillTrack50

Endorsements: 

Campaign website

Fun fact about the candidate: According to the about me page on his website, he is an accomplished singer/songwriter as well as a published author and an instrument-rated pilot. 

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Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race were asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Bankson did not respond to the questionnaire.

Top issues in your race 

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

No. 1 issue: Affordability: 1: Continue my work to reduce insurance costs for both property and auto through maintaining the tort reform and increasing [Florida Office of Insurance Regulation] oversight by holding insurance company presidents that bankrupt companies accountable and unable to simply start a new company.

2. Regarding supplementing the lost tax revenue for local govts, there is a statewide 35% reduction in revenue, although disproportionate among municipalities, especially in more rural settings. This will require a trust fund to be established from which grants will be allocated, and equitable standards for grant application protected from political motivations. That being said, there are several ways we can approach this: a minimal 1% sales tax increase, 6% sales tax at the time of purchase with proceeds set into a trust fund for more affected cities, a small surcharge on tourism stays that supply the trust fund, and an effort to combine first responder services, and other various revenue streams such as a front-facing license plate on vehicles, tiered on-ramp approach to replace dependency on homestead tax revenue, and at minimum we should match the 1980 homestead exemption of $25,000 when the average home cost $45,000 making it a 56% exemption at the time. In 2026 the average home is $382,000 so had we maintained a percentage basis that would have been $214.000. This is another justification for the necessity to increase homestead exemption.

3. A reduction in property tax would make first time home buying more attainable and ease the pressure on the rental market, thus bringing a market-based solution to the rental problem.

4. Utilize 3P (public private partnerships) for addressing housing needs and aim funding for demonstrated positive (return on investment) partners.

No. 2 issue:  Pro business – 1. Focus on job creation by supporting small business protections, reduce red tape, and promote jobs and economic development incentive such as our successful removal of business rent tax 2. Address workforce needs through education opportunities and continued interaction with industry to match their need 3. Oppose duplicative regulations that create unnecessary red tape, increase costs, and add burdensome layers of bureaucracy. If property tax reforms are approved in November, I will rely on input from industry leaders to understand their needs and work to ensure that businesses are not subjected to onerous tax shifts or unintended financial burdens. 4. We need to provide affordable and attainable housing for the workforce, and this coincides with my former point of supporting public-private partnerships and uniting all levels of government. We can further accomplish this with tax relief and proper utilization of Sadowski funds.  

No. 3 issue: Transportation – 1. Build on my work in the area of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft technology and vertiport development to alleviate the pressure on our ground infrastructure 2. Advocate for increased transportation funding for central Florida and work with (Central Florida Expressway Authority) to make sure revenues are spent to extend local exit arteries  

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserved to be re-elected in this race? 
Having served six years at the local level and now four years in Tallahassee, I’ve grown in a depth of understanding both at the local and state levels. I believe in working together to solve real world issues that my constituents face. I served for 19 years on our local Chamber of Commerce as both a board member and past chairman; I’m familiar and supportive of business and entrepreneurial needs. Over the past two legislative sessions I have passed 20 bills, and I have built a reputation and proven track record of working hard to advance meaningful legislation that promotes economic opportunity, public safety, workforce development, and educational  advancement. I am passionate about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to succeed. When it comes to appropriations, I work diligently to ensure that state funding does not simply flow south to Miami. I strive to highlight Central Florida’s role as an emerging leader in innovation and next-generation technology, while promoting our region as a healthy, affordable, and desirable place to call home. It is an incredible honor to serve the people of my district, and I believe in working together wherever possible to get the job done.  

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?*  Answered in Question 1. 

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions?* 

Yes, as I agree that homesteads should be owned and protected, and I also believe through reducing government waste and replacing lost revenue, we can work together to do the right thing and still fund the things that are important to Floridians. It will be incumbent upon the next legislature to delve into the implementation phase of tasked by Florida citizens. I’ve answered this question in prior responses in this survey above, and also in my answer to the next survey question regarding data centers.  

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond?  

First, we should make sure that regulations are in place to protect neighborhoods from intrusion against quality of life issues. We must also require data centers to be net neutral in closed loop systems for water usage to not harm our water needs. Finally, I believe in pursuing micro nuclear power and requiring data centers to produce their own power supplies, both protecting our public power grids, and being a source to backfeed into the power supply in times of emergency. I believe this could create a great source of revenue to help replace our reduced property tax revenues and position us to lead when it comes to increased AI and data center necessities.  

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? 

I have a passion to see Lake Apopka restored to its pristine beauty for future generations. Water issues should top the list so that our aquifer is protected and our waterways are enjoyed for posterity.