In a surprising development, Republican Mark MacLean announced today in a press release he is running for the Florida House of Representatives in District 12.
MacLean is Southside attorney and community leader. He is also a ninth-generation Floridian, raised in the Sans Souci neighborhood and a graduate of Eaglewood High School, the University of North Florida and Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law.Lake Ray, who currently represents District 12, is not seeking another term because of term limits within the state.
Since 1994, MacLean has run his own business as a sole practicioner, helping other small business owners and individuals with contracts, probate, estate planning and real estate matters. He also served as an adjunct professor at Keiser University and Florida Coastal School of Law along with many other various impressive achievements.
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MacLean said:
Running for State Representative is genuinely an outgrowth of what I’ve been doing for the past 20 years. Over the last two decades, I’ve served, with my neighbors and parents of my kids’ classmates, to improve the lives of families on the Southside and in Arlington.
In my experience, I have found that many of the challenges we deal with on the local level are caused by state mandates that are sent down by Tallahassee officials – an authoritative, top-down approach to government. We need a ground-up approach to solving problems, empowering local decision making and limiting the power and spending of state government.
He has been married for 18 years to Alicia and they have three children. Two girls ages sixteen and ten and an eight-year-old son.
Alicia is a clinical specialist for Medtronic, a medical device company, is active in her church and is a cancer survivor. MacLean said it was Alicia’s battle with cancer in addition to him caring for his aging parents that reinforced the values he learned during childhood: what really is important in life.
This is what MacLean said is important:
That philosophy is what MacLean wants to bring to Tallahassee: governing the right way.It’s not about money. It’s not about power – it’s relationships and doing what is right for your family, your kids, your neighbors and your communities.
MacLean added currently:
it’s a top-down view of governing that is the complete opposite of what we need. I believe the citizens are sick and tired of the Tallahassee-knows-best, one-size-fits-all approach to government.
We should be leading from the ground up: empowering local decision makers, reducing unnecessary regulations, over burdensome taxes and un-harnessing small business owners to create jobs.
He also believes:
We should give parents control over what their children are taught in our schools, give teachers in the classroom the freedom to teach, without national or federally supported curriculum standards imposed on them, and we should keep a lid on government spending while setting aside money for the future.
In closing, MacLean believes Florida leaders could benefit from the wisdom of his father’s generation. Both of his parents survived the Great Depression by hard work, frugality, planning ahead and minimizing risk. It’s time to reignite that philosophy and put Florida on the right path.
Other candidates who have already announced they are running in District 12 are: Richard Clark (R), Don Redman (R), Clay Yarborough (R).