Sen. <\/span>Jeff Brandes<\/b> might genuinely be the sort of pragmatic, everyman politician that some executive-level Republicans have claimed they are.<\/span><\/p>\n The same moves that might\u2019ve cost him some on-page power in Tallahassee have made him a mainstay on the list of most powerful bay area politicians. Last year, he ranked seventh<\/a><\/strong>. Brandes is known for voting by principle, not party. Though firmly entrenched in the GOP, Brandes has never shied from standing up to even clear directives from his party\u2019s leadership in moves that sometimes leave his own aides guessing.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy<\/strong>, but in the Legislature \u2014 except that his vote never breaks any ties,\u201d WFLA\u2019s Evan Donovan<\/strong> said. \u201cStill, voting in line with, and standing up for, what you believe in: what a novel concept in 2022.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kennedy, appointed by Republican President <\/span>Ronald Reagan<\/b>, was, like Brandes, considered a libertarian by many and known to earn the ire of conservatives. Brandes once lost his seat as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee after opposing a $2.8 billion cut from the state\u2019s corrections budget. Senate President <\/span>Wilton Simpson <\/b>quickly reassigned him to a different committee.<\/span><\/p>\n During the 2022 Legislative Session, Brandes was one of two Republicans to break ranks a measure critics have dubbed the \u201cDon\u2019t Say Gay\u201d bill (HB 1557<\/strong><\/a>). The bill limits instruction on sexual and gender identity in public schools. Brandes went so far as to back a Democrat-supported amendment to change the bill\u2019s language<\/a><\/strong> to eliminate all sexual instruction in grades K-3, rather than single out sexual orientation and gender identity. The amendment was defeated during a committee stop in a party-line vote, save for Brandes.<\/span><\/p>\n He also broke ranks on the anti-net-metering bill on its way to the Governor that would remove an incentive making installing residential solar panels more cost effective. The bill\u2019s sponsors said it ends a subsidy non-solar customers pay for despite refusing to support a study on whether there was a need to make any changes. Opponents said it will chill the residential solar industry in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n And Brandes laid into fellow Republican Sen. <\/span>Travis Hutson <\/b>over a bill<\/strong><\/a> to limit Soil and Water Conservation District Board membership to farm owners or their employees. He told Hutson the bill was so not-ready-for-prime-time that it \u201cwasn\u2019t even ready for t-ball<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n But while he broke ranks and swung toward the left on energy, transportation and education issues, he juked again, supporting Florida\u2019s 15-week abortion ban<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSen. Brandes has always been willing to tackle tough or sensitive issues since he has been in the Legislature. He has been called a maverick because he is willing to challenge the norm or seen to go against the grain,\u201d Shawn Foster<\/strong> of Sunrise Consulting said. \u201cI believe he is a thoughtful leader and is willing to dive deep into the issues. Sen. Brandes has been a presence in the Capitol, but I don\u2019t think we have seen the last of him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The son of a Vietnam-era Marine, Brandes \u2014 himself a veteran of Iraq and an officer with the Army Reserve \u2014 has said it instilled him with a clear-cut idea of right and wrong. The strategy has helped him win over moderates, independents and swing voters in a district that largely encompasses the blue St. Petersburg.<\/span><\/p>\n Over 11 years in the Legislature (the first two in the House), Brandes\u2019 views have been seen as forward-thinking, especially when it comes to transportation. His <\/span>micro-mobility bill<\/b><\/a> made electric scooters legal on Florida roads, a law that helps Florida cities, including Tampa, launch e-scooter projects. Brandes also stayed true to defending home rule in his bill, leaving the details of e-scooter programs up to individual cities. And he previously supported bills that helped ride-sharing companies like Uber continue to operate in Florida.<\/span><\/p>\n In another recent win, Brandes sponsored the<\/span> Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act<\/b><\/a>, part of<\/span> criminal justice reforms<\/b><\/a> celebrated by civil rights groups for giving women inmates mandatory access to certain health care products like sanitary napkins and tampons.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThroughout his 11 years in the Florida Legislature, Sen. Brandes has always sought out innovative solutions and taken a forward-thinking approach,\u201d RSA Consulting\u2019s Natalie King<\/strong> said. \u201cHe has been a champion for criminal justice reform, autonomous vehicles and expanding access to health care, and his passion and tenacity for these issues has earned the respect of his constituents and certainly made its mark on the Florida Senate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In 2010, Brandes ran for and won a House seat in District 52. In 2012, Brandes ran for Senate District 22 after it was reapportioned and considered competitive. He was re-elected in 2014. In 2016, court challenges to the 2012 redistricting saw Brandes\u2019 district go from 22 to 24. He won the then-redrawn District 24 in 2016 and again in 2018, for his last term.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/floridapolitics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/102102-019_AARP_FL_VetoHB1239_728x90.jpg\")
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