Candidate Profile: State House District 71: Jim Boyd

Jim Boyd

Office: Florida House of Representatives, District 71

Party Affiliation: Republican 

Age: 55

Residence: Bradenton

Occupation: CEO, Boyd Insurance & Investment Services; President, The Boyd Group (commercial real estate firm); licensed real estate broker

Education: Manatee Community College, A.A., 1976; Florida State University, B.S., 1978

Seeking a second term in the Florida House of Representatives, Jim Boyd currently represents the newly drawn District 71, which covers most of the Manasota area, including Bradenton, Palmetto, and Sarasota. He faces Democratic challenger Adam Tebrugge in November. Mr. Boyd pledges to "focus on creating jobs, improve the economy and make Florida a great place to live and work by improving those very important areas as well as making our educational system the best in the country."

Mr. Boyd earned an A.A. from then-Manatee Community College before graduating from FSU with a bachelor's. He first served in politics as a councilman of Palmetto from 1989 to 1993, and though his return has been recent, he has drawn much attention after his election to the State House in 2010.

The state congressman has gained recognition for his sponsorship of Personal Injury Protection reform legislation that passed through the legislature this year. He has also sponsored a failed 2011 bill that aimed to bring the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. into pricing where private insurers could compete with it, by increasing Citizens customers' rates.

As the chief executive officer of a local insurance company, Rep. Boyd's familiarity with the industry has been touted by supporters as a knowledgable and welcome hand in dealing with insurance policy issues, and claimed by opponents as a clear conflict of interest in his role in the aforementioned bills, both of which were lobbied for by the insurance industry. 

An official statement on the incumbent's website reads, "Our state faces serious challenges – from budget deficits to stubbornly high unemployment numbers – Florida needs bold leadership and serious solutions."

A native of Manatee County, Mr. Boyd resides in Bradenton with his wife and two children.