Incumbent Republican Judson Sapp is seeking re-election in Florida House District 20, which covers Putnam County and parts of Clay, St. Johns, and Marion counties. The only other candidate who qualified for the race is Democrat Lee Butler. Since they are the only candidates, and they are unopposed for their party’s nomination, the race will only appear on the November ballot.
News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their 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 |
Lee Butler
Occupation: United States Navy Reserves
Age: 47
Family: N/A
Education: Some College
Political experience: No political experience.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1. Expanding and Protecting Earned Veterans’ Benefits.
The Issue: Veterans and survivors face bureaucratic hurdles and benefit penalties, such as surviving spouses losing survivor benefits if they remarry, or combat-injured retirees losing military retirement pay to offset disability compensation.
The Plan: Champion provisions within the comprehensive Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, including the Love Lives On Act and the Major Richard Star Act. By reforming these rules, you ensure that no hero’s family is financially penalized for moving forward.
2. Safeguarding Dual-Service First Responders
The Issue: Police officers and public servants who also serve in the National Guard or Reserves are too frequently forced to use their personal vacation and sick leave to fulfill military obligations.
The Plan: Advocate for measures mirroring the bipartisan House Bills 5232 and 5233, which require police and fire departments to provide up to 26 days of paid military leave for first responders annually.
3. Healthcare and Early Retirement Security for Public Servants
The Issue: Due to the severe physical toll of their roles, many police, firefighters, and EMTs are forced to retire before reaching age 65, leaving them without affordable and flexible healthcare options until they qualify for Medicare.
The Plan: Support federal legislation like the Expanding Health Care Options for First Responders Act.
This allows first responders between the ages of 50 and 64 who separate from service early to buy into Medicare.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I can help voters in a way others cannot because I am not offering vague campaign promises; I am delivering an immediate, day-one legislative blueprint to pass specific, bipartisan House bills that directly fix gaps in federal care for our veterans and public servants. Every candidate running for this office will say they want to help voters, but I am the only one who has done the homework to identify and advance the exact laws needed to solve these problems right now.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
If I am fortunate enough to earn your vote, I want to be remembered for a simple, rare standard in politics: I delivered exactly what I said I would do. When my time in this office is over, I want my legacy to be measured not by empty political speeches, but by the concrete passage of life-changing House legislation that closed the gaps in care for our veterans, police officers, and public servants.
Campaign website: No website
Campaign social media: No social media
Judson Sapp
Campaign website: www.judsonsapp.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.