Kelli Stargel has filed as a candidate for the Florida State Senate, District 15. This seat is currently held by Paula Dockery who has announced her gubernatorial campaign. Florida State Senate District 15 is composed of portions of Polk, Hernando, Sumter, Lake and Osceola counties.

“I am announcing my candidacy for the Florida State Senate because we need people in Tallahassee who have the right values, the right experience, and will make the tough but right choices,” Kelli Stargel stated.

“We need to turn our state’s economy around. I want to ensure that our hard earned tax dollars and being used efficiently. Most importantly we need to encourage businesses to produce good paying jobs. To do this, we must have fiscal conservatives who will control the state budget, limit taxes, and wisely invest in the future,” Kelli Stargel said.

“We cannot have a vibrant, diverse, and growing economy without a well educated and flexible work force. That requires education reform and that has been and will continue to be my focus,” Kelli Stargel promised.

“I am not a career politician; I am an average citizen who has been afforded a great opportunity to make a difference for the people of Central Florida. It has been a privilege to serve in the Florida House and I’m honored that so many have encouraged me to run for the Florida Senate.”

Kelli Stargel is a 6th generation Floridian and lives in Lakeland, Florida. She and her husband John have been married for over 25 years. They have 5 children: three teenagers living at home, a daughter serving overseas as an officer in the US Army, and a daughter who was recently married.

Representative Stargel was elected in 2008 and currently serves as the State Representative for District 64 in the Florida House. She is currently the Vice-Chairman of the PreK-12 Appropriations Committee, and also serves on the Education Policy Council, PreK-12 Policy Committee and the Public Safety and Domestic Security Policy Committee.