Florida House District 81 Candidates

Published: 11:11 am. ET July 23, 2024
Updated: 10:37 am. ET September 2, 2024 / By
Florida House District 81 Candidates

Yvette Benarroch and Greg Folley will compete in a closed primary election to be the Republican Party candidate for Florida House District 81.

House District 81 residents who are registered Republicans on July 22 will choose between the two candidates on August 20. All voters will then decide between the primary winner and Democrat Charles “Chuck” Work in November.

Find your Florida House district here.

Yvette Benarroch
Benarroch
Greg Folley
Folley

For an introduction to the Florida Legislature, read my primer, The Legislative Branch of Florida’s Government.

In This Post

Below you will find the following information to help you learn more about the candidates:

  • Bios and key issues
  • Endorsements
  • In the news
  • Websites and social media
  • Candidate forums
  • Candidate questionnaires
  • Campaign finances

This post is a work in progress. More information and analysis may be added in the weeks ahead. Check back often for updates.

Yvette Benarroch

Yvette Benarroch, 54, is a Puerto Rico native who moved to Florida in 2003. The Air Force veteran, small business owner, and political activist is the mother of two teenage sons.

She and her husband are co-owners of Affordable Landscaping Service & Design, LLC, a 20-year-old full-service landscaping business that serves the Naples/Marco Island area. She is also a licensed realtor with Re/Max Affinity Plus in Marco Island.

Benarroch served in the US Air Force during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and earned an honorable discharge. She held a top-secret clearance, and worked in the intelligence field in communications.

Benarroch leads the Collier County chapter of Moms for Liberty, “dedicated to the survival of America by unifying, educating, and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.” She has been active in politics since 2018, having worked on the political campaigns of Rick Scott, Ron DeSantis, Byron Donalds, and Donald Trump.

She served as Vice Chairwoman for the Collier County GOP from 2020-2022 and is a past State Vice Chairwoman for the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Florida. Currently, she is the First Vice President of the Florida Federation of Republican Women.

Benarroch has a BBA in Marketing from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and an MBA in Marketing/New Media/Communications from Southern New Hampshire University. She also has several certifications related to the professional landscaping business.

Campaign Video: “I will never support teaching our kids that boys can be girls.”

Key Issues

On her website, Benarroch states her position on these key issues: stopping illegal immigration, defending the Second Amendment, getting wokeism out of our schools, economic opportunity, and supporting Florida family values.

Endorsements

Benarroch’s endorsements include U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, Congressman Byron and Erika Donalds, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, State Senator Jonathan Martin, State Representative David Borrero, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, Collier County Commissioner Dan Kowal, and Collier County School Board Member Kelly Lichter.

She is also endorsed by Americans for Prosperity Action, Florida Realtors PAC, former County Commissioner Donna Fiala and former Supervisor of Elections Jennifer Edwards.

In the News

Websites and Social Media

Greg Folley

Greg Folley, 65, is a veteran, an attorney, and a retired Vice President of Caterpillar Inc. He has nine children, two stepchildren, and 11 grandchildren. He has served on the Marco Island City Council since 2020; City Council voting records here.

Folley served in all three branches of the federal government during a 40-year professional career, including service on the White House staff under President Reagan. Before joining Caterpillar, he practiced labor and employment law for over a decade at major law firms and as labor counsel for American Airlines.

He served as Chairman of the Board of the Central Illinois chapter of the American Red Cross while at Caterpillar and on the boards of Catholic Charities and Eureka College. He has extensive board experience with several companies and was admitted to the bars of Indiana, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Texas.

Folley attended the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (cum laude) from the University of Notre Dame. He was awarded an honorable medical discharge from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Campaign Commercial: “Joe Biden’s a tool for the radical left.”

Key Issues

On his website, Folley outlines his views on these key issues: preserving liberty, 2nd amendment/gun rights, border security, growth, life, parental control in education, property insurance, tax cuts, water, support of police officers and firefighters, and animal welfare.

Endorsements

Folley’s endorsements include Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Stand for Health Freedom, Florida Family Action, Bikers for Trump, and Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

He is also endorsed by former Florida State Senate Garrett Richter, Marco Island City Council Vice Chair Erik Brechnitz, Marco Island City Councilor Dr. Rich Blonna, and Collier County School Board members Tim Moshier and Jerry Rutherford.

In the News

Websites and Social Media

Candidate Forums

Watching and listening to candidates provides additional insight. Sometimes, questions are asked in forums that provide information that is not otherwise available. Here are links to recordings of two forums in which both candidates participated:

These are some of the questions asked by Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, moderator of the Naples Reagan Club Forum, and summaries of candidates’ responses:

Q: “The governor recently vetoed approximately $30 million in cultural grants to the arts. What is your philosophy on funding the arts, and what would you say to the governor if he asked your opinion on his veto?”

Folley: I support the veto. Funding the arts is probably at the bottom of the list of things the government should do. I might be willing to consider support for the arts in specific cases, but it’s a private sector thing, and that’s where it belongs.

Benarroch: I’m sure the Governor did his homework before deciding on this veto. Arts are at the bottom of the list. Fund priorities first. If there’s anything left over, we can look at everything else.

Q: What is the biggest challenge to economic development and growth in our state?

Benarroch: Over-regulation. We need to make sure our policies are pro-business. Don’t over-regulate. Streamline the permitting process across county lines and make it easier to do business in the state. Also, the labor shortage.

Folley: The permitting process. We need to listen to our business leaders, find out where the problems are in the bureaucracy, and deal with them. Also, housing. We need to manage the cost of homeownership and rentals by keeping property taxes under control, continuing to expand the homestead exemption, tackling the insurance problem, providing more funding for inspections, and expanding the home hardening program.

Q: Should Florida expand Medicaid?

Folley: Absolutely not. It will open up a giant gap in the budget and have a damaging effect on rural healthcare providers and hospitals.

Benarroch: No. We need to make sure it’s there for those who need it, but we don’t need to keep growing it. We should encourage more partnerships between nonprofits and doctors and make sure they get to communities that need help, as we do in this county.

Candidate Questionnaires

Both candidates completed my Sparker’s Soapbox questionnaire and a questionnaire developed by FLCAction.

FCAction Questionnaire

The candidates’ responses were the same on 20 of the 25 questions. For example, both candidates support:

  • eliminating the Florida corporate income tax,
  • building nuclear power plants in Florida,
  • restoring the right of 18- to 21-year-olds to purchase firearms, and
  • “the protection of life amendment that establishes life begins at conception,” and
  • mandating school districts to use the Guardian program.

Both “will champion” reducing the state’s acceptance of federal funds to less than 25% of the state budget over the next five years. Both also “will champion” changes to Florida law to provide an “opt-in” for parents to all sexually explicit material and student surveys and give parents the right of legal action.

These are some of the issues on which they disagree:

  • Terminating state and county DROP programs, which provide an alternative method for payment of retirement benefits for members of the Florida Retirement System. (Benarroch — supports; Folley does not)
  • Offshore drilling in Florida outside the 10-mile limit (Benarroch supports; Folley does not)
  • Cameras in the classroom focused on teachers (Folley supports; Benarroch does not)

Soapbox Questionnaire

I encourage you to read both candidates’ complete responses to my Soapbox Questionnaire:

Benarroch Questionnaire

Folley Questionnaire

Benarroch’s Responses

In part, Benarroch said:

  • If elected, she will fight against regulations that make homeownership unaffordable and work to curb rising insurance prices; empower law enforcement to enforce immigration laws, stop the flow of illegal drugs, and keep communities safe; and fight against regulations that hinder businesses and promote economic growth, job creation, and thriving communities.
  • A past policy decision she disagreed with and was glad DeSantis vetoed was SB 280 — Vacation Rentals. “While I support proper rental property management, SB 280 imposed excessive regulations that harm property rights. A more balanced approach is needed to protect property rights and address rental market issues.”
  • Asked the most important thing voters should know about the issues at stake in this election, Benarroch said, “As someone who served this country in the United States Air Force and has lived and served in this community for over 20 years, I deeply understand the unique challenges and opportunities we face. Deep roots matter when looking for representation, and my proven long-term commitment to our community ensures that I am attuned to our needs and aspirations.”

Folley’s Responses

In part, Folley said:

  • If elected, Folley will focus on things that affect housing costs, specifically property taxes, property insurance, and availability. He said he will vote to lower property taxes at the state level, work to bring property insurance costs under control, and work to streamline the approval process for affordable housing.
  • Asked to name a past policy decision he disagreed with and would like to change, Folley said, “The obscenity standards applicable to minors in the state are not as strict as would be allowed by Supreme Court decisions. I will work to make the prohibitions against exposing minors to obscene materials as strict as the law allows.
  • Asked the most important thing voters should know about the issues at stake in this election, Folley said, “The two greatest responsibilities of State government are to keep us free, including fighting against encroachment and overreach from the federal government, and keeping us safe.” He said he will “fight the federal government wherever it usurps state prerogatives, work to ensure that criminals are punished, and that illegal aliens are not rewarded with benefits that should not be extended to those who have broken our laws to get into the country.”

Analysis: Campaign Finance

Here is a summary of the candidates’ filings to date:

State Rep D81 Money at 7-21-24
Florida Division of Elections

I reviewed each candidate’s contributions and expenditures. Of note:

Next Steps

If you are a registered Republican in District 81, it’s time to decide which of the two candidates to vote for.

If you have questions, contact the candidates directly via the contact information on their website. If they don’t respond to your satisfaction when running for office, how responsive will they be if elected?

When you’ve done enough research to feel confident about your decisions, you are ready to vote!

For election dates and details about how, when, and where to vote, visit www.colliervotes.com.

If you missed it, please read my post, Planning Ahead, to learn which additional ballot questions I will be researching in the coming weeks.

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