Republican Yvette Benarroch and Democrat Charles “Chuck” Work are vying to represent Florida House District 81.
Fifty-one percent of Collier County voters live in District 81.
See the district map here. Find your Florida House district here.
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
- Campaign finances
More information and analysis may be added in the weeks ahead. Check back before casting your vote for updates.
Yvette Benarroch (Republican)
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 listed as a realtor on the website of Re/Max Affinity Plus 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.
Active in politics since 2018, she worked on the political campaigns of Rick Scott, Ron DeSantis, Byron Donalds, and Donald Trump.
Currently, Benarroch is the First Vice President of the Florida Federation of Republican Women. From 2022-2024, she chaired the Collier County chapter of Moms for Liberty. 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.
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.
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.
See a comparison to her opponent below.
Endorsements
Benarroch’s endorsements include U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and Congressmen Byron Donalds and Mario Diaz-Balart. They also include 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
- Opinion: Working together to ensure no one in our community is left behind, by Yvette Benarroch via Naples Daily News, 10/27/24
- Yvette Benarroch wins Florida District 81 Republican primary, defeats Greg Folley, Naples Daily News, 8/20/24
- Florida House of Representatives candidate Yvette Benarroch accused of battery on worker, Naples Daily News, 8/20/24
- District 81 Candidates Talk Issues, Coastal Breeze News, 8/15/24
- Yvette Benarroch lands Marco Rubio endorsement, a day after Rick Scott announces his support, Florida Politics, 8/9/24
- Rick Scott wants Yvette Benarroch as his state Representative, Florida Politics, 8/8/24
- Candidates Address Campaign Finance and Conflict of Interest, Coastal Breeze News, 8/1/24
- Byron Donalds touts Yvette Benarroch for HD 81 in the Republican’s first TV ad, Florida Politics, 7/19/24
- Yvette Benarroch Builds Political Network with Backing of AFP, Byron Donalds, Florida Politics, 7/1/24
- Letter to the Editor: Fight Title IX Revisions, by Yvette Benarroch, via Coastal Breeze News, 5/9/24
- Yvette Benarroch Runs for Southwest Florida’s State House District 81, Florida’s Voice, 5/18/23
Websites, Social Media, Other Resources
Charles Work (Democrat)
Charles “Chuck” Work, 84, attended high school in Claremont, CA. He has a B.A. degree from Wesleyan University, a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, and an L.L.M. from Georgetown University Law Center. He moved to Florida from the Washington, D.C., area part-time in 2014 and became a full-time resident in 2019.
His career in the law began with the government, first as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia (1966-1973) and then in the Department of Justice as a Deputy Administrator, Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (1973-1975). He then entered private practice in Washington, D.C., as a partner with Peabody, Rivlin, Lambert and Meyers (1975-1982) and McDermott, Will and Emery (1982-2009).
Since moving to Naples, he has served on two HOA Boards and two committees at the First Presbyterian Church. He is a director of the Atlantic Legal Foundation and a member of the Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health’s Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
Work and his wife, Veronica Taggart, were lifelong Republicans but left the Party after the insurrection on January 6. “We like to say ‘the Republican Party left us,’” he told the Naples Daily News.
Key Issues
According to his website, Work will:
- Defend women’s rights to health care in Florida,
- Protect access to health care in Florida and keep prescription drug prices low,
- Combat the rising cost of insurance in Florida,
- Bring climate change to the forefront of Florida’s policy agenda and
- Support the return to transparency in Florida.
Endorsements
Work is endorsed by the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida and Atheists of Florida, according to a campaign email of Sep. 19.
In the News
- Chuck Work: From prosecuting Watergate to campaigning for Florida’s District 81, The Paradise Progressive, 9/15/24
- Moderate former Republican seeks State House seat as Democrat, Naples Daily News, 7/7/24
Websites, Social Media, Other Resources
Soapbox Questionnaire
Both candidates completed my Sparker’s Soapbox candidate questionnaire:
I encourage you to read their complete, verbatim questionnaires. Below are several of the questions and their responses, edited for brevity.
Benarroch
Q: Why are you running for this position?
“I am running for the Florida House because I am deeply committed to preserving the American Dream for everyone,” Benarroch wrote. “My military service taught me that the oath to serve has no expiration date. I want to continue that service by fighting for our families, seniors, and veterans. I am dedicated to growing our economy, supporting law enforcement to keep our communities safe, and ensuring every child receives a quality education.”
Q: What are the most critical issues facing Southwest Floridians today, and should you win the election, how will you address them?
The most pressing issues are the rising cost of living, illegal immigration, and excessive government overregulation, Benarroch said. She will:
- champion policies aimed at lowering taxes to ease financial pressures on families and individuals;
- push for reforms that drive down homeowners’ insurance rates by fostering a more competitive market and improving risk assessments;
- advocate for stronger border security and rigorous enforcement of immigration laws to safeguard local jobs and community resources, and
- work to streamline bureaucratic processes and eliminate unnecessary red tape, creating a more business-friendly environment that supports economic growth.
Q: Name one past policy decision of the Florida Legislature that you disagree with and would like to change if elected. How would you change it?
Benarroch was glad Gov. DeSantis vetoed SB 280 — Vacation Rentals. “While I support proper rental property management,” she said, “SB 280’s blanket restrictions don’t consider different properties’ unique circumstances and could burden responsible owners, negatively impacting our economy. A more balanced approach is needed to protect property rights and address rental market issues.”
Q: What are your views about the role of state vs. local government as they relate to the issues facing Southwest Floridians today? How would these views influence your actions and decisions as a legislator?
“I believe in a streamlined state approach that supports economic growth and individual freedoms while avoiding overreach,” Benarroch said. “Local governments, on the other hand, are tasked with managing specific, community-focused issues like zoning, public safety, and local services.
As a legislator, I will focus on fostering collaboration between state and local authorities to ensure that state policies support local initiatives and address community concerns. By working together and aligning our efforts, we can create a more efficient and responsive government that better serves the people of Florida.”
Work
Q: Why are you running for this position?
“I am running because I am a moderate and oppose extremism on both sides of the aisle,” Work wrote. “Florida’s politics have been dominated by GOP extremists for too long. As a former Republican who left the party after the January 6th insurrection, I want to bring civility, decency, rationality, and truth back to Florida politics. Voters in District 81 deserve a choice.”
Q: What are the most critical issues facing Southwest Floridians today, and should you win the election, how will you address them?
The most pressing issues are women’s access to health care and climate change. Work said he will:
- work to protect access to health care, regardless of what happens with Amendment 4, and
- make Florida more prepared in the future with climate-resilient infrastructure.
Q: Name one past policy decision of the Florida Legislature that you disagree with and would like to change if elected. How would you change it?
“SB 7050 — Elections was a dangerous piece of legislation aimed at restricting voting access across the state,” Work wrote. “I would work to repeal it immediately.
I would also work to ensure that Floridians regain as much access as possible to early and mail-in voting.”
Q: What are your views about the role of state vs. local government as they relate to the issues facing Southwest Floridians today? How would these views influence your actions and decisions as a legislator?
“The Florida Constitution guarantees home rule for all municipalities,” Work said. “The state legislature has passed over 80 laws from 2021 to 2024 that preempt this guarantee. I will work to restore home rule in Florida and in House District 81.”
Candidate Forums
Sometimes, questions are asked in candidate forums that provide information that is not otherwise available. Watching and listening provides additional insight. As of the date of this post, Work has not participated in any candidate forums. If/when he does, I will update this post.
For now, here are links to recordings of two forums held before the primary elections in which Benarroch participated:
- Naples Reagan Club Forum, 7/16/24, hosted by the Naples Reagan Club (35 minutes)
- FLCAction Forum, 5/2/24, hosted by FLCAction (60 minutes)
Campaign Finance
Here is a summary of the candidates’ filings to date:
I reviewed each candidate’s contributions and expenditures. Of note:
- Benarroch received 78 contributions of the maximum allowable $1,000 each. Three were from herself or affiliated people or entities.
- Work received seven $1,000 contributions. Two were from affiliated people.
- Benarroch received contributions totaling $29,000 from political committees and PACs. The donors include the Conservative Legacy Fund, Conservatives for Clean Water, Defending Conservatism and Democracy, Florida Home Builders PAC, and several Florida realtors committees. See details in the below list of $1,000 contributions.
- Benarroch paid a total of $111,168 to Right Aim Media LLC, Rapid Loop Consulting LLC, and Smart Media Group LLC for advertising.
- She also paid $5,000 to Daija Jinojosa for campaign management and a total of $52,423 to Electioneering Consulting Inc., Ross Consulting LLC, Rapid Loop Consulting LLC, and McShane LLC for consulting, digital consulting, and compliance.
Next Steps
It’s time to review the available information and decide which candidate to vote for. I hope this research has been helpful. Thanks for wanting to be a more informed voter!
