Article Courtesy of The Ledger

By Mike Ferguson

Published October 27, 2016

POINCIANA — Voters in Florida House District 42 will choose between a political newcomer and a two-term incumbent during the Nov. 8 general election.

La Rosa, 34, of St. Cloud was first elected to the state House in 2012 and won re-election in 2014. He served as the House majority whip in his last term and is the vice chairman of the House’s Regulatory Affairs Committee and the Economic Development and Tourism Subcommittee.

"If you look at my record and what I've promised and what I've delivered, it speaks for itself," La Rosa said, citing that Poinciana now has a Valencia Community College campus and the construction of the Poinciana Parkway.

Valentin, a Democrat, became a clinical psychologist in Kissimmee after working in management with Fortune 500 companies for nearly two decades.

Originally from New York, Valentin has lived on the Polk County side of Poinciana since 2004.

“I feel like I have the qualifications and the passion,” Valentin said. “I live here in the district, my daughter goes to school here and I’m bilingual, so I feel like I can bridge the gap between people.”

"I've really tried to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars," he said.

La Rosa has a healthy lead when it comes to campaign financing. He has raised about $221,000 on the campaign trail, including $17,000 during the reporting period ending Oct. 5. That’s more than Valentin has raised for the entire campaign — he has raised less than $15,000 and none during the Oct. 5 reporting period.

“When people are in place for too long, they become complacent,” Valentin said, noting that La Rosa was backed by large businesses and pharmaceutical companies. “When you’re new coming in, you immediately start working for the people.”

Valentin listed reforming laws regarding homeowners’ associations among things he wants to reform, explaining that many mismanage funds and sell debt to outside companies. Other core issues for Valentin include expanding Medicaid and more funding for education.

“There’s definitely people without adequate coverage, elderly people and the Republicans have opposed federal funding,” he said of Medicaid expansion. “Public schools are still not adequately funded and teachers are leaving. Every year, the funding for the Head Start program has gotten lower and that program has proven results.”

La Rosa said he's also a proponent of homeowners' association reform. Key issues for La Rosa include education, job creation and decreasing regulation, something he said has increased exponentially throughout the years.

"We have increased regulations, not only on businesses, but in everyday life," the incumbent said. "I'm a small business owner; I know what it takes to create jobs. It's imperative we create an environment where businesses can compete."

Both candidates ran unopposed during the Aug. 30 primaries. District 42 spans parts of Lake Wales, Frostproof, Poinciana and Osceola County.

“My biggest takeaway is the huge learning experience this has provided me,” Valentin said. “I’ve been able to learn about a lot of things from agriculture … to the industries that sustain our state.”

La Rosa said he's tried to keep his focus on issues that really affect the people he was elected to represent.

"This entire campaign cycle has been about issues that aren't relative to the people," he said, referring to national races. "There's so much talk about politics and it's not substantive on what their needs really are. When I talk to folks about something like education, people really perk up. It's something that matters to everyone, whether you have kids or not."

House members serve two-year terms and are paid $29,700 annually.

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