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Lauren Uhlich Melo
David Silverberg
Candidates listed as they appear on the ballot.
Lauren Uhlich Melo
David Silverberg
Position on major issues
Currently serving her third consecutive term as the incumbent State Representative for Florida House District 82. Melo campaigns as an establishment-aligned, pro-business conservative, anchoring her legislative priorities around workforce readiness, infrastructure development, and corporate deregulation.
David Silverberg is a retired journalist and longtime Southwest Florida resident running for Florida Senate. Founder of The Paradise Progressive and former editor of Homeland Security Today, he brings extensive experience in journalism, government, policy, and public affairs.
Candidates listed as they appear on the ballot.
We share more ground than you might expect
Thinking for yourself matters
Official record
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on OGSR/Aquaculture Records
Voted Yes on Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Sponsored Disposition of Impounded Livestock
No public position found.
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Official record
Voted Yes on Data Centers
No public position found.
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Voted Yes on Commencement of Civil Actions
No public position found.
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Official record
Voted Yes on Child Pornography Terminology
Voted Yes on Systems of Law and Terrorist Organizations
Get ICE out of our communities. Support disciplined, professional policing that protects everyone—regardless of where they were born.
Sources
https://silverberg4florida.com
No public positions found.
Workforce Development & High-Paying Jobs: Drawing from her private-sector experience running commercial transportation and real estate operations, Melo places workforce expansion at the forefront. Read full quote
Official record
Voted Yes on Public Employees Relations Commission
Sources
https://www.laurenmelo.com/
+7 more
Affordability and Lowering Living Costs: Silverberg emphasizes that Southwest Florida has become increasingly out of reach for working families. He campaigns on addressing skyrocketing property insurance rates, combatting gas price inflation, and tying long-term economic affordability to climate resilience.
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on Higher Education
Voted Yes on Pre-K-12 Education
Voted Yes on Education
Stop diverting public school dollars to charter and parochial schools. Respect and reward the teachers who shape our children's futures. End book bans—ignorance is not strength.
Stop using Florida's colleges and universities as feeding troughs for greedy politicians. Higher education must serve students, not political ambitions.
Defending Home Rule and Public Education: Silverberg advocates for restoring local municipal autonomy, arguing against state-level preemption that overrides local laws. Read full quote
Sources
https://silverberg4florida.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/david-silverberg-ab78122
No public positions found.
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No oil exploitation in the Gulf of Mexico or the Everglades. Our water is our lifeblood—it is not for sale.
Sources
https://silverberg4florida.com
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on Petroleum Cleanup Programs
Voted Yes on Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System Permits
Voted Yes on Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
Replace denial and delusion with real planning and preparation. Southwest Florida's future depends on confronting the facts honestly.
No oil exploitation in the Gulf of Mexico or the Everglades. Our water is our lifeblood—it is not for sale.
From the very beginning, David Silverberg was one of the boldest voices calling for Alligator Alcatraz to be shut down. Read full quote
Sources
https://silverberg4florida.com
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on Children’s Initiatives
No public position found.
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Official record
Voted Yes on Minimum Age for Firearm Purchase or Transfer
No public position found.
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Official record
Voted Yes on Health Care
Voted Yes on Uterine Fibroid Research Database
Voted Yes on Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System Permits
Stop the assault on science. Protect our children from preventable diseases and epidemics. Trust in medicine, not politics.
Sources
https://silverberg4florida.com
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on Local Housing Assistance Plans
Voted Yes on Housing for Veterans
Voted Yes on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
End profiteering, price gouging, and scams. Get insurance rates under control so Florida families can afford to live and stay here.
End Tallahassee's preemption of local land management, governance, and autonomy. Our communities know what's best for our communities.
Opposing Property Tax Elimination: Unlike some of his conservative counterparts, Silverberg strongly opposes the total elimination of property taxes. Read full quote
Sources
https://silverberg4florida.comhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0HS_hLMc2o
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on Employment Eligibility
Voted Yes on Advertisements for Representation Services
Voted Yes on Employment Eligibility
Get ICE out of our communities. Support disciplined, professional policing that protects everyone—regardless of where they were born.
From the very beginning, David Silverberg was one of the boldest voices calling for Alligator Alcatraz to be shut down. Read full quote
Sources
https://silverberg4florida.com
No public positions found.
Public and Traffic Safety Infrastructure: Driven by a community tragedy in her district, Melo sponsored HB 807, a high-profile traffic safety bill aimed at increasing accountability and penalties for reckless drivers who run red lights and cause severe crashes. Read full quote
Official record
Voted Yes on Department of Management Services
Voted Yes on Documentary Stamp Tax Distributions
Sources
https://www.flchamber.com/florida-chamber-of-commerce-endorses-lauren-melo-in-senate-district-28-for-the-2026-election/
+33 more
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on Assessments Levied on Recreational Vehicle Parks
Voted Yes on Official Actions of Local Governments
No public position found.
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Official record
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Tax Relief and Fiscal Conservatism: Melo strongly aligns with standard state GOP fiscal policy. Her platform centers on keeping consumer transaction thresholds low, implementing targeted tax exemptions, and exercising strict budget limits to manage consumer inflation.
Official record
Voted Yes on Property Tax Administration
Voted Yes on Department of Management Services
Sources
https://www.flchamber.com/florida-chamber-of-commerce-endorses-lauren-melo-in-senate-district-28-for-the-2026-election/
+46 more
Opposing Property Tax Elimination: Unlike some of his conservative counterparts, Silverberg strongly opposes the total elimination of property taxes. Read full quote
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on Local Government Cyber Security
Voted Yes on Data Centers
Voted Yes on Local Government Cyber Security
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Official record
Voted Yes on Veterans Dental Care Grant Program
Voted Yes on Veterans
Voted Yes on Veterans
No public position found.
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Official record
Voted Yes on OGSR/Persons Provided Public Emergency Shelter
No public position found.
No public positions found.
Coverage differs between candidates because it depends on what each candidate has published. A short list does not mean a candidate has no views.
Corrections address not set yet.
Lauren Uhlich Melo
David Silverberg
Lauren Uhlich Melo
Currently serving her third consecutive term as the incumbent State Representative for Florida House District 82. Melo campaigns as an establishment-aligned, pro-business conservative, anchoring her legislative priorities around workforce readiness, infrastructure development, and corporate deregulation.
Visit the campaign site
Connect with Lauren Uhlich Melo:
David Silverberg
David Silverberg is a retired journalist and longtime Southwest Florida resident running for Florida Senate. Founder of The Paradise Progressive and former editor of Homeland Security Today, he brings extensive experience in journalism, government, policy, and public affairs.
Visit the campaign site
Connect with David Silverberg:
Running for
State Senator, District 28
Thinking for yourself matters
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Election Day
November 3, 2026
Bring
A state-approved photo ID
