Republican incumbent Sam Greco is seeking re-election in this legislative district which covers southeastern St. Johns County, including St. Augustine, and extends south, mostly east of U.S. 1, plus all of Flagler County. The only other candidate in the race is Democrat Suzanna Pavelle. With the candidates unopposed in their party primaries, the race will only appear on the general election ballot.
News4JAX sent questionnaires to each candidate asking about their background and views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically by party and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.
| DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE |
Suzanna Pavelle
Occupation: Small business owner for nearly 30 years, including 26 years in St. Augustine.
Age: 53
Family: I have lived in St. Augustine with my husband, Brian for 26 years. This year marks our 30 year anniversary. We have with 3 dogs, Hazel, Bilbo and Lyra. My Mother lives nearby, and my mother-in-law lives with us part-time.
Education: B.A., University of Oregon. Graduate coursework in underwater archaeology, Department of History.
Political experience: I have spent nearly 30 years as a small business owner, including 26 in St. Augustine. My experience has prepared me to serve: I have managed budgets, HR, hiring and firing, customer service, and negotiations. As a small business owner, I solve problems, make difficult decisions, and work productively with people who do not always agree with me. I have always advocated for my staff, and I will bring that same commitment to be a voice and advocate for the residents of District 19. I served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Johns County for nearly 10 years. This experience gives me a strong foundation for representing our community.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
The top three issues in this race are affordability, smart growth that protects our water and way of life, and strong neighborhood public schools.
First, affordability is crushing families across District 19. Homeowners insurance is out of control, utility bills keep rising, and too many people feel like they are working harder just to fall further behind. In St. Johns and Flagler, affordability is not just about groceries or rent. It is also about whether bad growth decisions, flood risk, and infrastructure strain are making life more expensive for the people who already live here. I will fight to lower insurance pressure, make growth pay for the roads, drainage, water, and wastewater capacity it demands, and focus state government on the bills families actually pay.
Second, we need smart growth that protects clean water, infrastructure, and the natural heritage of Northeast Florida. Growth is coming, but reckless growth is a choice. When development outruns roads, drainage, water systems, and local planning, families pay in flooding, traffic, utility strain, and higher costs. I will fight for infrastructure before major development, real local control over growth decisions including data centers, and full support for the land, water, and resilience investments that protect our communities.
Third, strong neighborhood public schools are part of a strong local economy. Families need schools they can count on, and teachers and school staff need to be able to afford to live in the communities they serve. Public dollars require public accountability. I oppose state policies that weaken public schools while sending taxpayer money to less transparent systems with weaker oversight. I will fight to fund neighborhood public schools first, support better teacher pay, and require accountability for every public education dollar.
The reason these problems keep getting worse is that too many decisions in state government are driven by special interests, political donors, and insiders instead of the people who live here. I am running to put working families first.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
What I offer voters that others in this race cannot is a combination of lived local experience, small-business problem-solving, and a willingness to do the homework and tell people the truth. I have lived in St. Johns County for 26 years. I am not a career politician. I am a small-business owner. When running a business, your job is to listen, solve problems, serve people, and balance budgets. That is how I approach public service.
I also bring community research experience, emergency-response experience, and years of nonprofit board service. That means I look at issues, and strive to find common sense solutions. I look at what is happening to families in District 19: insurance bills, school funding, flooding, traffic, utility strain, and whether growth is making life more expensive for the people who already live here. I can help voters by being the kind of representative who is prepared, accessible, and focused on practical results, not political theater. If I do not know the answer, I will figure it out by talking to policy experts and researching solutions.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I hope to be remembered for making life more affordable, protecting what makes Northeast Florida home, and standing up for the public schools families count on. This means fighting to lower the costs people feel every month, especially homeowners insurance, utility pressure, and the hidden costs of bad growth. It means insisting on smart growth that protects clean water, wetlands, and the character of our communities instead of shifting more flooding, traffic, and infrastructure strain onto current residents. And it means defending neighborhood public schools, supporting teachers, and making sure public dollars come with real accountability. Additionally, I am encouraging the younger generation to get out, get involved, and run for office because we need fresh thoughts and ideas.
Most of all, I would hope people could say I was honest, prepared, and focused on the people who live here, not the special interests that have had too much influence for too long.
Campaign website: suzannapavelle.com
Campaign social media: Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | Threads | BlueSky
Sam Greco
Campaign website: www.samgrecoforflorida.com
Campaign social media: Facebook | X | Instagram
The Republican incumbent, first elected to the Florida House in 2024, has not responded to email and telephone invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If responses are received, they will be promptly posted in this space.