Race Analysis: Florida House District 73

The race for the Florida House of Representatives District 73 race features incumbent Republican Tommy Gregory and Democratic challenger David Reeves Fairey.

This race is very straightforward with a conservative Republican being challenged by a progressive Democrat. As such, voter demographics will give Gregory a considerable edge that will be compounded by his considerable campaign fundraising advantage (Gregory had over $170,000 raised as of the last filing, while Fairey had just over $37k).

Fairey is a CPA and with a master’s degree in business administration and accounting. He currently serves as the CFO of a technology company in Sarasota, where he lives with his wife and their four children. Born and raised in Tennessee, he has lived in Florida since 2011. He has spent 5 years working internationally in other corporate finance and advisory roles in manufacturing and healthcare.

Fairey says his background in finance and knowledge of the healthcare sector make him a good candidate to provide legislative leadership in the increasingly-challenging COVID-19 pandemic, for which he says a coordinated response is needed to protect the health of our citizens and address the impending shortfall in state revenue without raising personal taxes.

Gregory served in the Air Force for 20 years, mostly as a prosecutor in the JAG Corps. He achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring in 2014. After leaving the military, Gregory spent 10 months doing missionary work in the Dominican Republic while his house was being built in Sarasota. Since moving to the area, he has served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity Sarasota, St. Martha Catholic School, and the Sarasota Republican Club.

Gregory serves on the House's Public Integrity & Ethics Committee. He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a BS in Economics and earned his JD from the University of Texas School of Law. While in the military, he deployed in support of operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom.

There's no question that Gregory has the advantage in this race. However, as I noted in the District 71 race, it would be prudent for Republicans to ask whether more is gained by having yet another party-line vote for an agenda that is going to pass anyway, than in having an opposition voice, especially when it comes to state statutes on things like land development, water quality issues, and wetland protections.