Jason Shoaf | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theFlorida House of Representatives from the7th district | |
| Assumed office June 18, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Halsey Beshears |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1979-09-20)September 20, 1979 (age 46) Panama City, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Port St. Joe, Florida, U.S. |
| Website | www.jasonshoaf.com |
Jason Shoaf (born September 20, 1979) is an American politician serving as a member of theFlorida House of Representatives from the7th district, which includesFranklin,Gulf,Jefferson,Dixie,Suwannee,Hamilton,Lafayette,Liberty,Taylor, andWakulla Counties, and part ofLeon County. He was first elected in a 2019 special election.
Shoaf was born inPanama City, and attendedTallahassee Community College andFlorida State University. He is the nephew of former GovernorWayne Mixson and the grandson of former State Representative Cecil G. Costin.
Shoaf worked as a businessman prior to entering politics, serving as the vice-president of St. Joe Natural Gas Company and Gulf South Self Storage and Alliance Property Management.[1] He was appointed to the board of the Port St. Joe Port Authority Board and to the board of Triumph Gulf Coast, a state-run non-profit tasked with disbursing funds recovered from theDeepwater Horizon oil spill.[2]
Following Halsey Beshear's resignation from the House to serve as Secretary of theFlorida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, a special election was held to replace Beshears in the House.[3] Shoaf announced that he would run in the special election, and faced Mike Watkins, Lynda Bell, theSneads City Manager and a formerMiami-Dade County Commissioner; and2018 congressional candidate Virginia Fuller in the primary election.[4] He campaigned on "bringing high-paying jobs to the district" and on "expand[ing] vocational opportunities" in public schools[2] and emphasized his outsider credentials.[1] He was endorsed by several prominentnorthern Florida Republican politicians—formerState House SpeakerAllan Bense, formerState Senate PresidentDon Gaetz, and CongressmanMatt Gaetz[5]—while Watkins was endorsed by local sheriffs and the state's police and firefighter unions[4] and Bell was endorsed by a right-to-life group.[6] The campaign grew heated and personal, with Watkins nearly starting a fight with Shoaf after Watkins alleged that Shoaf touched his fiancée's arm, an allegation Shoaf & witnesses denied.[7] Ultimately, despite the perceived closeness of the race, Shoaf ended up winning by a wide margin, receiving 49% of the vote to Watkins's 27%, Bell's 20%, and Fuller's 4%.[8]
Shoaf advanced to the general election, where he faced Ryan Terrell, aTallahassee communications consultant and theDemocratic nominee.[9] Against Terrell, Shoaf focused on his conservative positions, like his support forDonald Trump, gun rights, and anti-abortion legislation, but also campaigned on nonpartisan issues, like helping the district recover fromHurricane Michael.[10] Ultimately, despite the district's Democratic voter registration and history of supporting downballot Democratic candidates,[10] Shoaf prevailed over Terrell in a landslide, winning 71% of the vote to Terrell's 29%.[9]
