Nik Dean

The Affordability Crisis: Working families in Florida are struggling to make ends meet as the rising costs of everyday goods places even more pressure along with the stagnation of earning power. As your Florida State House Representative, I will seek to implement business friendly solutions to help Florida’s working families increase their wealth, such as supporting tax incentives for businesses that implement profit sharing modes of compensation.

Home Ownership and Property Insurance: The American dream of owning a home and raising a family has become increasingly out of reach for many Central Floridians as homes and property insurance become less affordable. We need to increase the supply of affordable housing through smart development, which includes building new affordable housing solutions and retrofitting underutilized properties. We also need to decrease the cost of property insurance by capping the amount property insurers can increase premiums.

Expand Access to Healthcare and Childcare: As a father, I know just how difficult it is to secure affordable healthcare and childcare. As your State House Representative, I will work to provide tax incentives to employers who offer comprehensive healthcare and childcare benefits. I will also seek to add more accountability and transparency for medication pricing so that insurance companies cannot prevent our constituents from obtaining life saving medical care. No one should have to choose between groceries and medicine.

District 38 deserves a State House Representative that prioritizes the needs of the people, and I am that State House Representative. I will prioritize the needs of working families, children and seniors. As an attorney, I am able to find practical solutions to complex problems through meaningful discourse and spirited debate with people with whom I may disagree. Division within politics has negatively impacted the efficacy of the legislative branch where partisan politics takes priority over the needs of working families, children and seniors in Florida. Central Floridians deserve a State House Representative that will fight to increase their wealth, increase access to stable high-paying jobs, expand access to healthcare and childcare, and increase funding for public schools, so that everyone has meaningful access to the resources they need.

We need to increase the supply of affordable housing while also balancing the needs of smart development to maintain the character of the county and protect Florida’s ecosystem. This means building new affordable housing, but also retrofitting underutilized properties that already exist within the county.

I will vote NO. Floridians need relief, but not at the cost of slashing funding to resources like our first responders, libraries and police force. Further, the benefits of increasing the homestead exemption for property owners will not ultimately benefit renters or business owners. The benefits of saving money for homeowners are outweighed by the costs of decreased funding for civil services within our county, which are already underfunded.

The weight of rising costs for water usage and energy costs should be carried by the companies creating the rising costs. AI companies cannot socialize the rising costs of utilities and privatize the profits of the data centers creating these rising costs. Florida Legislators need to ensure that the rising costs of water and energy are carried by the data centers causing the increased costs and not carried by Floridians.

The biggest environmental issue is the destruction of Seminole County’s wetlands. Prioritizing rapid development over the preservation of Seminole County’s wetlands increases flood risks and depletes the aquifer. Development must be executed with an intention to protect Florida’s ecosystem.

While we must have strong and secure borders and the federal government should deport undocumented immigrants with a history of violent crimes, there must also be a clear pathway to citizenship for the hardworking people who are an essential part of our community and are, much like other Floridians, seeking a better life in this amazing state. The state is preempted on issues of immigration, but we should not utilize state funds to create and run immigration detention facilities. The state has an independent duty to protect its constituents and ensure that every individual on American soil retains their rights to due process and basic human dignity.

I support an amendment to Florida’s constitution codifying abortion rights akin to those previously afforded under Roe. I support a woman’s right to choose as a part of her First Amendment rights to self-determination. We need to invest in women’s healthcare and childcare so that the women who birth our children are adequately supported and the children are supported in our community.

I do not support State preemption as a general principle, because local issues require local solutions. The State is not in a position to implement one size fits all solution to certain problems that require localized and precise calculations. With that being said, hyperlocalized ordinances that place high burdens on small businesses seeking to compete within multiple localities hurts the economy. The balance comes from prioritizing the will of constituents within a city, while acknowledging the state-wide reach of many laws.

Yes. The voters within Seminole County have conclusively decided to establish and protect the rural boundary. The right of a property owner to build what they wish on their land necessarily affects their neighbor’s ability to do the same. Therefore, a communal approach to development is necessary and the government’s role is to serve the interests of their constituents, not the interests of a few developers.

Yes. Local governments should have final decision making authority to utilize their Tourist Development Tax revenue within specific areas, such as funding for public schools, infrastructural projects, and expansion of public transit.

The decline in enrollment is caused in large part due to lack of investment in our public schools. We must invest in public schools as the backbone for building a better future. Schools in Florida should teach students practical skills and help build a strong educational foundation, so that every student can work and live the life they desire. To do this, we must pay teachers a livable wage, increase funding for pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and increase funding for campus safety and student mental health resources. Florida public schools are underfunded and lack all of the resources necessary to adequately protect and support our students. If elected, it will be my top priority to replenish our public education system so that every student can thrive.

Yes. Any school that receives State funds, either directly as a public school or indirectly through the State’s voucher program, should not be allowed to turn away a student with a disability. Private schools should not be allowed to receive state funds and then pick and choose the students that they support.

There is no credible evidentiary connection between vaccines and autism. In fact, the persistence of this myth dehumanizes the autistic community and contributes to social stigma. Vaccine mandates for public and private school entry saves lives and prevents the proliferation of dangerous diseases.

First, I will ensure that the Medicaid settlement funds go where it should’ve gone: to help provide health insurance for children in Florida. Second, I will fight to ensure that the individuals responsible for this alleged misappropriation of funds are held accountable.

As your State House Representative, I will fight against attempts at partisan gerrymandering. I will fight against any attempt to dilute the voices of Floridians in our elections.

The balance lies in smart development that allows for an increase in affordable housing without building over Florida’s wetlands and rural boundary. This can be done through allowing multifamily development on commercially zoned land if a certain percentage of those units are affordable. We can also invest in revitalizing underutilized properties and work to transform these properties into affordable housing.

I will work to increase SunRail stops and incentivize building of affordable housing and commercial properties within walking distance of these SunRail stops.

While the State should not implement a one size fits all solution to problems that require localized and precise calculations, there should be a focus on streamlining compliance for small businesses ensuring that they can participate in the local economy.

Yes, I support the rural boundary. Landowners can develop outside the rural boundary and revitalize underutilized properties. Florida’s property owners have a right to utilize their properties as they see fit; however, this right is balanced by the fact that the manner in which you utilize your property affects how your neighbor can utilize their property. In other words, the desire of a few to develop in the rural boundary does not override the collective desire of the county to protect the rural boundary.

Faith in our election process has degraded due to the divisive rhetoric dominating the political landscape. One of my main goals is to serve as a bridge between the political parties and work to make the legislature more effective. Floridians deserve a legislature that works for them. Let’s put politics aside, and work towards a better Florida for us all.