thinkingvoter.com

Back to State Representative, District 65

State Representative, District 65

State

Running for

State Representative, District 65

Photo of Ben Braver

Ben Braver

Ben Braver is a Hillsborough County native, former Title I teacher, and policy advocate running on a platform of fully funded public education, universal healthcare, affordable housing, workers’ rights, clean energy, and reduced corporate influence in Florida government. He emphasizes grassroots organizing, rejects corporate donations, and draws on his local roots, Jewish values, and experience leading statewide student protests.

Party is hidden. Tap a black bar to reveal.

Thinking for yourself matters

Position on major issues

Agriculture and rural policy

Farmworkers and construction workers face deadly heat in Florida with zero mandatory protections

benbraver.com ·

Artificial intelligence

Ben is a strong advocate for the environment and against energy-sucking data centers.

benbraver.com ·

Florida is the "Sunshine State" but dramatically underutilizes solar — we should be a world leader •Public parking lots, government buildings, and schools are prime candidates for solar canopy installation •Data centers consume massive amounts of water and electricity, straining Florida's grid with little community benefit •Florida Forever has protected 870,000 acres — but is chronically underfunded at a fraction of the voter-mandated $300M/year •Fertilizer runoff from traditional lawns is a primary driver of red tides and algae blooms devastating Tampa Bay

benbraver.com ·

Civil rights and freedoms

When DeSantis attacked student privacy and took over colleges, Ben led thousands in a state-wide protest, appearing on MSNBC and NPR.

benbraver.com ·

Economy, jobs and wages

Florida is one of the only large states with no Department of Labor — workers have no dedicated state advocate

benbraver.com ·

Farmworkers and construction workers face deadly heat in Florida with zero mandatory protections

benbraver.com ·

Florida preempted local paid sick leave ordinances in 2013 — workers still risk their jobs to take a sick day

benbraver.com ·

Ben Braver is running to expand healthcare, fully fund public schools, protect workers, and put Tampa families first — not corporations.

benbraver.com ·

Ben doesn't take corporate money. His policy platform is built around ending the corporate capture of Florida's government by improving affordable housing, workers' rights, and clean energy.

benbraver.com ·

Education

Florida ranks 50th in the nation for average teacher pay at just $53,098

benbraver.com ·

He'll fight for fully funded public schools, Universal Pre-K, and free public college so Florida keeps its talent in state.

benbraver.com ·

Ben will make college free, cover childcare costs, and end fees for school meals — no tuition bills, no debt.

benbraver.com ·

Florida's Voluntary Pre-K only covers 3 hours/day — inadequate for full-time working parents

benbraver.com ·

When DeSantis attacked student privacy and took over colleges, Ben led thousands in a state-wide protest, appearing on MSNBC and NPR.

benbraver.com ·

Elections and voting

Florida hasn't added a single House seat since 1968 — despite the population tripling

benbraver.com ·

Each representative now speaks for 4× as many people as in 1970

benbraver.com ·

Capping districts at 100,000 residents would cut donor influence and restore local accountability

benbraver.com ·

Energy

Ben is a strong advocate for the environment and against energy-sucking data centers.

benbraver.com ·

Ben doesn't take corporate money. His policy platform is built around ending the corporate capture of Florida's government by improving affordable housing, workers' rights, and clean energy.

benbraver.com ·

Florida is the "Sunshine State" but dramatically underutilizes solar — we should be a world leader •Public parking lots, government buildings, and schools are prime candidates for solar canopy installation •Data centers consume massive amounts of water and electricity, straining Florida's grid with little community benefit •Florida Forever has protected 870,000 acres — but is chronically underfunded at a fraction of the voter-mandated $300M/year •Fertilizer runoff from traditional lawns is a primary driver of red tides and algae blooms devastating Tampa Bay

benbraver.com ·

Environment and climate

Florida-Friendly landscaping uses 50% less water and eliminates synthetic fertilizer runoff

benbraver.com ·

Ben is a strong advocate for the environment and against energy-sucking data centers.

benbraver.com ·

Florida is the "Sunshine State" but dramatically underutilizes solar — we should be a world leader •Public parking lots, government buildings, and schools are prime candidates for solar canopy installation •Data centers consume massive amounts of water and electricity, straining Florida's grid with little community benefit •Florida Forever has protected 870,000 acres — but is chronically underfunded at a fraction of the voter-mandated $300M/year •Fertilizer runoff from traditional lawns is a primary driver of red tides and algae blooms devastating Tampa Bay

benbraver.com ·

Families and social services

Over 2 million Florida children could receive Summer EBT grocery assistance — $259M federally funded, zero cost to state

benbraver.com ·

Ben will make college free, cover childcare costs, and end fees for school meals — no tuition bills, no debt.

benbraver.com ·

Florida's Voluntary Pre-K only covers 3 hours/day — inadequate for full-time working parents

benbraver.com ·

Government reform

Capping districts at 100,000 residents would cut donor influence and restore local accountability

benbraver.com ·

Ben doesn't take corporate money. His policy platform is built around ending the corporate capture of Florida's government by improving affordable housing, workers' rights, and clean energy.

benbraver.com ·

Healthcare

Ben knows firsthand how insurance companies obstruct care from watching his mother, a physician, spend hours every day on insurance paperwork instead of patient care. He understands how a universal healthcare system would save families thousands a year.

benbraver.com ·

Florida is 1 of only 10 states that have NOT expanded Medicaid under the ACA

benbraver.com ·

$14.3 billion in new federal dollars over 5 years if we expand Medicaid now

benbraver.com ·

Ben Braver is running to expand healthcare, fully fund public schools, protect workers, and put Tampa families first — not corporations.

benbraver.com ·

Housing

•Florida receives an "F" for per-pupil funding — $4,626 below the national average •Wall Street investors are buying Tampa-area single-family homes at scale, pricing out working families •Florida homeowners face skyrocketing insurance costs as private carriers exit the market •A state-run non-profit reinsurance fund would stabilize rates and protect homeowners from global market volatility

benbraver.com ·

Ben doesn't take corporate money. His policy platform is built around ending the corporate capture of Florida's government by improving affordable housing, workers' rights, and clean energy.

benbraver.com ·

Infrastructure and transportation

Florida families spend $4,200+ per year on transportation due to car dependency and no real alternatives

benbraver.com ·

Tampa-to-Orlando high-speed rail would cut a 1.5-hour drive to under an hour by train •Light rail in Tampa connects workers to jobs, students to school, and seniors to services — without a car

benbraver.com ·

Local control

Florida preempted local paid sick leave ordinances in 2013 — workers still risk their jobs to take a sick day

benbraver.com ·

National security and foreign policy

As a proud Jewish man he uplifts his Jewish Values of Tikkun O'lam and will redirect 350 Million in state funds from Israel back into our neighborhoods.

benbraver.com ·

Taxes and government spending

Florida gives away $31 billion per year in tax expenditures — most with no expiration date or review

benbraver.com ·

A state EITC at 20% of the federal credit would put real money in the pockets of 2.6M+ working Floridians •Combined reporting would generate $2.4 billion annually by closing the corporate profit-shifting loophole

benbraver.com ·

He'll fight for fully funded public schools, Universal Pre-K, and free public college so Florida keeps its talent in state.

benbraver.com ·

As a proud Jewish man he uplifts his Jewish Values of Tikkun O'lam and will redirect 350 Million in state funds from Israel back into our neighborhoods.

benbraver.com ·

$14.3 billion in new federal dollars over 5 years if we expand Medicaid now

benbraver.com ·

Technology and privacy

When DeSantis attacked student privacy and took over colleges, Ben led thousands in a state-wide protest, appearing on MSNBC and NPR.

benbraver.com ·

Ben is a strong advocate for the environment and against energy-sucking data centers.

benbraver.com ·

Florida is the "Sunshine State" but dramatically underutilizes solar — we should be a world leader •Public parking lots, government buildings, and schools are prime candidates for solar canopy installation •Data centers consume massive amounts of water and electricity, straining Florida's grid with little community benefit •Florida Forever has protected 870,000 acres — but is chronically underfunded at a fraction of the voter-mandated $300M/year •Fertilizer runoff from traditional lawns is a primary driver of red tides and algae blooms devastating Tampa Bay

benbraver.com ·

Pages we use for this candidate

Corrections

Corrections address not set yet.

What is unbiased view?

We hide parties by default so you can compare every candidate with an open mind, and maybe find common ground where you least expected it. Reveal them any time with one tap.

Thinking for yourself means looking past the labels to the ideas and values underneath.

Your saved picks are from a different ZIP. Start fresh?