Bell, a Republican, will run on a conservative platform
that emphasizes the right to life and limited government
Lynda Bell today announced her candidacy in the special election for District 7 in the Florida House of Representatives. A Republican, she is the former mayor of Homestead, Florida, and currently serves as President of Florida Right to Life.
“I am passionate about protecting our constitutional rights, particularly the right to life since all other rights flow from it,” said Bell. “We have seen the tragic erosion of the right to life in states like New York and Virginia in recent weeks, and I can’t sit on the sidelines. Florida must continue to foster a culture where life is honored at every stage, from conception to natural death, and I will fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens in the Florida House.”
Bell has a long and distinguished record of service in local government, having served as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner from 2010 to 2014 and on the Homestead City Council from 2003 to 2009. She was Vice Chair of the County Commission from 2012 to 2014 and Mayor of Homestead from 2007 to 2009, the first and only time a woman has served in that office in the city’s 100-year history. She currently serves as Town Manager of Sneads, Florida.
During her years of service, she was known for her fiscally responsible leadership. In 2015, Governor Rick Scott appointed her to the Florida Communities Trust, which oversees and awards millions of dollars in grants to municipalities for parks and environmental projects.
“The communities that make up District 7 are home to some of the finest people I have ever known,” said Bell. “I would consider it a great honor to serve my friends and neighbors in the Florida House, fighting for our shared values of limited government and individual responsibility. It is imperative that we keep taxes low and the government off the backs of entrepreneurs who create jobs and keep our economy strong.”
Among the numerous awards she has received are the Athena Award, given by the Homestead Chamber of Commerce, and the Association of Public Administrators Woman of Distinction Award. She was also recognized with the Miami-Dade Farm Bureau Advocacy Award, the Miami-Dade League of Cities Helen Miller Award, and in the Congressional Record as the first woman elected as Mayor of Homestead.
Bell and her husband, Mark, have been married for more than thirty-four years and have three adult daughters and twelve grandchildren. They own and manage several real estate properties, and they teach Sunday School at Corinth Baptist Church.
District 7 was represented by Halsey Beshears from 2012 until earlier this year when he was appointed Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The district includes Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla Counties and part of Leon County, where Bell and her husband reside.
