I would like to begin by acknowledging Ashley Hunter’s great column in the last issue of the Jefferson Journal, “Who Speaks For You?” Ms. Hunter’s insightful piece motivated me to re-examine who I was voting for in this critical primary race and perhaps more importantly, why was I supporting this particular candidate?
I am happy to share that I was following her advice and researching the conservative candidates. I looked at their career and political backgrounds, their character and their motivation for running. I also examined the salary, duties and function of the state representative for District 7. I engaged in multiple discussions with fellow conservatives who were also conducting their own research and had spoken directly with the candidate that I am supporting to answer multiple tough questions that were raised by one particular opponent’s negative ads.
I would like to answer Ashley Hunter’s question as to why I believe whole heartedly that Jason Shoaf is the candidate who “speaks for me.” I met Jason at the monthly Jefferson County Republican Meeting on February 19, 2019, where he and a representative for Virginia Fuller were speaking. I was very impressed by Jason’s commitment to running a positive campaign and he explained that he would place no negative ads about his opponents and he made multiple positive comments during his presentation about Ms. Fuller campaign, including their agreement on several key issues for our state. So imagine my surprise when negative flyers started appearing in my mailbox for what “appeared” to be from the Shoaf campaign. My research into this issue found that not only did Jason’s campaign NOT send out these flyers but that once aware of them, he had asked the conservative organizations sending them out to stop (i.e., Vision For Florida). Therefore, consistent with what he promised his audience on February 19, 2019, Jason Shoaf has run a clean campaign.
I additionally like the fact that out of the 4 conservative candidates running, Jason is the only one who was born, raised and has lived his entire adult life as a contributing member of the District 7 community of Port St. Joe. It was clear to me as I sat listening to him share the key issues that he would be supporting if he was elected, that he is an individual of high moral character with a servant’s heart dedicated to serving the needs of the constituents versus trying to line his pockets or become a member of the “swamp.” He was clearly proud of his small-town background and values, so with this solid foundation, I believe that he will fight for us the people when elected, following through on the conservative values that he supports.
Susan Carabello