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Candidate Comments: Brad Drake for State Representative, Dist. 5

News 13 would like to provide candidates with an additional outlet to educate voters. We have offered candidates facing opposition in Primary Election an opportunity to tape a message to voters. Below are the statements as written by the candidates, followed by their taped message to voters.

Dear Friend and neighbor,
I’m Brad Drake and I’d like to be your next State Representative of Northwest Florida, representing you from the 5th chair in the Florida House of Representatives. For the past 7 years, I have worked in this office, of which I am running for, serving as senior aide to current District 5 Representative Don Brown. My service to you in previous years of work in the House of Representatives, alongside Rep. Brown, has been a true honor and privilege and I’m ready to continue fighting for you in Tallahassee as your next Representative. The two years ahead us will present many challenges. We still have much work to do in addressing the needs that affect our daily life. When my grandfather, Rep. J. Troy Peacock, served in the legislature in the 1950’s the biggest issue at that time was keeping cows off the highway. However, today, we have needs and problems to address that are far more complex. Such as: Resuscitating life back into our local economies. Helping seniors find affordable healthcare. Implementing sound business policies that will promote affordable and available property insurance, and not on the backs of the taxpayers. Creating a fair and workable property tax structure that allows hard working citizens to keep more of the money we earn instead of continuing to have our money extracted from us by the government. Cracking down on the illegal aliens who cause us taxpayers to pay more for the drain they cause to our local and regional economies. And furthermore if an immigrant wants to legally come, work, pay taxes and live in our country and in the state of Florida, I believe they ought to learn the English language before granted to do. I believe in true conservative principles and I’ll not forget them or sell them when I go to Tallahassee. I believe in the smallest government, I believe in allowing people to keep their money. I believe in traditional family values such as marriage being defined as a union between a man and woman only. In the current days, the liberal movement is proliferating more and more. They want to change our heritage and the values we share that make Northwest Florida so very special. However, I detest that. I still believe it’s alright to be conservative. And it’s still appropriate to stand up for what is right. Isn’t it disturbing when 600 children desire to pray in school, yet 3 object to it… and then prayer goes away. I’m tired of having my values taken because of the 1 or 2 folks that the government feels they have to cater to, or they get scared by the ACLU, then cave to pressure. I’m tired of the politically correct norms, the typical politics in state government. I’m tired of the way business is done in Tallahassee, and I want you to send me over there to make some real, common sense changes. I’ve seen government leaders go to Tallahassee to represent their people, yet only to quickly barter away their upbringing, their moral compass and their values in exchange for selfish power. All as an end to justify the means. It really disappoints me to see people fall into this. And I pledge to make changes to this trend. Changes that affect the hearts of leaders, so that the people are relevant again, and are the reason we serve. AND- public trust and confidence is restored. If you agree with me, then send Brad Drake to Tallahassee to be at service and at work for you.

Brad Drake
850.419.1300