Simpson hopes for Kamala effect, turnout, flooded Florida House District 74 voters.
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: November 1, 2024
Host: Nancy Simpson is a floodplain expert. And she’s now running for office, challenging James Buchanan — the son of U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan — for the seat representing District 74 in the Florida House. Noah Vinsky talked to Simpson.
Noah Vinsky: We are just four days away from the 2024 general election, and several Florida House races in Sarasota and Manatee Counties will soon be decided. Democrat Nancy Simpson is taking on incumbent Republican James Buchanan for the Florida House District 74 seat. The area covers east of downtown Sarasota as well as rural parts of the county east of Interstate 75.
Nancy Simpson
Buchanan did not respond to our request for an interview.
After unsuccessfully running for the Sarasota Charter Review Board in 2022, Simpson said she feels “cautiously optimistic” about her chances on Tuesday. She said it was exciting to see the early-vote turnout that she’s been having and, and credited the shift in energy to when Kamala Harris assumed the Democratic nomination for president.
Nancy Simpson: The excitement around campaigning since Kamala took the top of the ticket, the shift in energy has been palpable, and it’s just so invigorating to see Democrats actually getting out there and volunteering and being excited again. Because I think in Florida we had some apathy hit us during the Obama years that we just haven’t caught up from
NV: Early voting in Sarasota County began last Monday, and so far Simpson says she has been encouraged by the turnout and feedback from voting residents.
NS: Going to the early voting locations and even, I did the same thing during the primaries. I volunteered at the poll greeter tents and because I wasn’t being primaried, so I was helping out with the school board candidates and some of the other people that were on the primary ballot. But I have had so many people from the primary and even during early voting this past week and a half, come up to me and say, “I’m a lifelong Republican, but I voted all blue.” And it just goes to show that Floridians are sick of the good old boys club. They’re done with the status quo. They’re over all of this divisiveness that’s been coming from our current elected officials in Florida, and they just want something new and fresh.
NV: Simpson says she has been running a grassroots campaign, and has been focused on reaching out to residents of Sarasota County. She’s currently endorsed by the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida, and currently runs her own floodplain consulting firm.
She says her background in local politics and career as a certified floodplain manager makes her an ideal voice for a community that’s reeling from multiple flooding events this year.
James Buchanan
NS: As I’m committed to our community, I actually go out in our community and talk with people. So there’s a lot of movement on the ground level where I’m putting myself into the community and talking with people where they are, to understand what their concerns are. And primarily right now it’s the flooding, the overdevelopment, the skyrocketing costs of insurance. And those are all things that I am equipped to address because of my professional career. And my voice can’t be bought. I want to work for the people. My career got started in county government. And so I’ve been a public servant for my professional career, and just volunteering and being in the community is so important and I just don’t really see that coming from my opponent or even the other legislative delegation that’s incumbent.
NV: For the Florida House District 73 seat, Democratic challenger Derek Reich is facing Republican incumbent Fiona McFarland for the second straight election cycle. McFarland won the seat with 56.3% of the vote in 2022.
In Manatee County, Republican William Conerly and Democrat Lesa Miller are facing off to fill the vacant Florida House District 72 seat. Republican Tommy Gregory stepped down from the role in June to become president of State College of Florida. For the District 71 seat, Democrat Adriaan DeVilliers is running against incumbent Republican Will Robinson, who has served as the representative since 2018. For more information on Simpson’s campaign, go to electnancysimpson.com. For more information on James Buchanan’s campaign, go to buchananforflorida.com.
This is Noah Vinsky for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.