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Republican Liesa Priddy and Democrat Arthur Boyer are competing for the Florida House of Representatives seat in District 82, which covers parts of Collier and Hendry counties, in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Registered voters in the district will decide the race. The winner will serve a two-year term in the Florida House of Representatives.
Find your district using the Florida Legislature’s District Finder. For background, see The Legislative Branch: A Soapbox Primer.
In this post, I summarize the backgrounds and stated priorities of the two candidates seeking this seat, along with their endorsements, recent news coverage, and campaign finance data, to help voters prepare to cast their ballots. I also include links where you can research each candidate further.
- Liesa Priddy (Republican)
- Arthur Boyer (Democrat)
- Campaign Finances
Liesa Priddy
Republican Liesa Priddy is a third-generation Florida rancher based in Immokalee who, with her husband, Russell, operates JB Ranch in Collier County. She holds a business degree and a graduate diploma in banking and began her career in banking and law firm administration before returning to ranch work full-time, which led to an environmental studies degree and a deepened focus on conservation. (campaign website)
Priddy served three years as Region 5 Representative for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and was appointed by Governor Rick Scott to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Under her stewardship, JB Ranch has received the Florida Cattlemen’s Association Environmental Stewardship Award, the Florida Wildlife Federation’s Land Conservationist of the Year award, and the 2023 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Region II Environmental Stewardship Award. (campaign website)
Platform
According to her campaign website, Priddy’s priorities include protecting Second Amendment rights, lowering homeowner’s insurance rates, reducing taxes on working Floridians, and preserving private property rights.
Endorsements
From her campaign website:
- State officials: Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Wilton Simpson; State Reps. Lauren Melo, Adam Botana, and Yvette Benarroch; former State Reps. Matt Hudson and Joe Spratt
- Law enforcement: Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden
- Organizations: Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Florida Farm Bureau, Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Florida Medical Association
- Local leaders: Everglades City Mayor Howie Grimm, Naples City Councilman Scott Schultz, Hendry County School Board Member Amanda Nelson, Hendry County Commissioners Ramon Iglesias and Emory “Rowdy” Howard, and LaBelle City Commissioner Barbara Spratt
In the News
- Rancher Liesa Priddy rides into race to succeed Lauren Melo. (Florida Politics, 8/19/25)
- Liesa Priddy collects $151K for HD 82 run, earns endorsement from Drew Montez-Clark. (Florida Politics, 10/13/25)
- Wilton Simpson backs ‘principled conservative’ Liesa Priddy in HD 82. (Florida Politics, 6/4/26)
Further Research
Arthur Boyer
Democratic challenger Arthur Boyer is a lifelong educator, leadership coach, nonprofit leader, and community advocate with more than two decades of service to students, families, working adults, and community organizations across Southwest Florida. He holds a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, a Master of Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Management. (campaign website)
Platform
According to his campaign’s Issues page, Boyer’s priorities are:
- Housing and Affordability
- Schools, Healthcare, and Rights
- Water, Land, and Resilience
Endorsements
- Former Collier County Commissioner Frank Halas (Facebook)
- Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida (Blue Voter Guide)
- Gun Sense Voter (Blue Voter Guide)
In the News
No news coverage specific to Boyer’s 2026 campaign was found as of Sept. 6, 2026.
Further Research
Campaign Finances
Political committees may raise and spend money without limit to support or oppose candidates, but Florida law caps direct transfers from a committee to a candidate’s own campaign account at $3,000 per election, with the primary and general treated as separate elections. For more on how to read these figures and learn what this information does and does not tell us, see the Sparker’s Civics primer, Understanding Campaign Finance Data.
Liesa Priddy’s Contributions
Liesa Priddy’s campaign took in $272,029 in total: $215,275 in monetary contributions, $8,754 in in-kind support, and a $48,000 personal loan. The $224,029 in contributions came from 316 donors, 93 percent of whom were from Florida and 6 percent from out of state. Political committees gave $38,000 of that total directly to her campaign account.
Separately, Friends of Liesa Priddy, a political committee she chairs, has raised $24,000 since its formation, of which $17,450 remains available.
Arthur Boyer’s Contributions
Arthur Boyer raised a total of $6,157 from 45 donors, 73 percent of whom were from Florida and 27 percent from out of state. Of his $2,640 in in-kind support, $1,410 came from Boyer himself. He received no contributions from political committees and has no affiliated committee.
Campaign finance data is from Florida Division of Elections filings, cross-checked against source records. See the Division of Elections’ Candidate Listing search for complete filings. Affiliated political committee data for Friends of Liesa Priddy was compiled separately from the Division of Elections’ Committee Database Search, downloaded Aug. 31, 2026.
This post was researched and drafted with the assistance of Claude (Anthropic AI). The content was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by the author. Both humans and AI can make mistakes. Please let us know if you spot one.
