Democratic candidate May Thach has announced her bid for Florida House of Representatives District 61, currently held by Republican Linda Chaney, who flipped the seat in 2020 after defeating Jennifer Webb.
Thach is a first time political candidate who has worked as a community organizer in the nonprofit space, including at St. Petersburg’s first Queer Asian Museum. She said that even though her work is not directly tied to the Florida Legislature, she is “amplifying that work experience,” arguing that Chaney’s policies “lack representation around people-centered laws.”
Chaney does have a relatively low profile record in terms of headline grabbing legislation, but she holds committee positions including Government Operations, State Administrative Budget, State Affairs and Economic Infrastructure. The list is not exhaustive, but where power and influence are often exercised behind the scenes.
Thach is positioning her campaign around whether Chaney is “the representative we deserve,” particularly when it comes to delivering tangible policies that benefit the public, as affordability has taken center stage for Floridians in this election cycle.
“Policy-wise I’d be pushing to have a cap for property insurance so the hike doesn’t go up every year,” said Thach. “Even if you have a house, you have limited insurance providers. At the same time, we need to elevate our citizens program, because right now it is not being funded or developed. Premiums are way higher than our national average.”
Thach also pointed to the most recent legislative session as evidence that the GOP is more focused on maintaining political control than addressing affordability concerns.
Much of what passed in the session centered on culture war issues, notably Senate Bill 1134, which prohibits local governments from funding, supporting or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion programming, with violations carrying potential penalties, including removal from office.
“The DEI bills are now infringing on our local freedom, especially in local areas like Gulfport,” Thach told Poliverse. “Pushing back means recognizing the practical impact of those laws on communities that are no longer able to make decisions for themselves. I will push to repeal those laws.”
Thach describes her campaign as grassroots, a key part of her overall messaging, eschewing large corporate donations in favor of small dollar contributions from individuals and local businesses. She said even modest donations, “even if it’s just $10,” give her confidence.
“At a time when folks are struggling, they still trust me to fight for them in Tallahassee,” she said.
At the same time, Thach acknowledged she would consider larger donations from companies, provided they align with her platform, and said such contributions would be evaluated on a case by case basis.