Election 2020: Brett Hage faces Mamie 'Dee" Melvin in House District 33 race

Oct. 3--Freshman Republican lawmaker Brett Hage is battling a political newcomer, retired military veteran and Democrat Mamie "Dee" Melvin, for the Florida House of Representatives District 33 seat.

Hage, 45, who was elected in 2018, represents District 33, which covers all of Sumter County and small portions of Marion and Lake counties. About two-thirds of District 33 voters live in Sumter, 20% in Lake and 13% in Marion.

The district includes all of The Villages.

Hage could not be reached for comment for this story. He declined to be interviewed by the Star-Banner when he first ran for the office in 2018.

On his campaign webpage, Hage writes: "I'm running to serve our community and help preserve the American Dream. I know the value of hard work and standing up for what you believe in. I will serve you every day with honor and integrity."

According to campaign finance records, he had raised $49,700 through Sept. 18.

Hage has sponsored several bills, one of which was aimed at school safety, as it relates to school crossing guards. HB-699 would have authorized "a school crossing guard employed by a private school, upon approval of the sheriff of the county in which such private school is located," to direct traffic at certain locations.

That bill died on March 14 in the transportation and infrastructure subcommittee.

Hage serves on many state House committees and subcommittees, including business & professions, commerce, PreK-12 appropriations, PreK-12 innovation, as well as the local, federal & veterans affairs.

Melvin, 69, who has raised $25,287 in monetary and in-kind donations, said in a telephone interview that she is running in hopes to better the lives of Florida citizens. She will fight for a higher minimum wage, better health care and affordable housing.

She pledged to protect the environment, promote gun safety and lobby for equal rights for all citizens.

Melvin, a 30-year U.S. Air Force veteran, lives in The Villages.

"We deserve a representative who will support public education so all children have the chance to achieve their full potential and fulfill their dreams the way I did," Melvin wrote on her campaign page.

In an interview on Thursday, Melvin said that before 2016 she was not much into politics.

"After the 2018 election, I started paying attention to what was happening in the state Legislature," Melvin said. "I was so disappointed in some of things they were doing. I decided if I am willing to make a change I needed to run for office."

This is her time running for political office of any kind. Melvin said her top three priorities is to better fund education, more health care for citizens and address poverty throughout the state.

"I believe public dollars should be used for public education, not private education or for-profit charter schools," Melvin said.

Melvin believes health care is a human right.

"Over 2.6 million Floridians do not have health care," Melvin said in her online platform. "The uninsured rate is 50% higher than the national average. This is up 16% from last year."

She said "Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security face the prospect of being unable to cover the full cost of promised benefits as soon as 2030. This includes support for more than 60% of Floridians in nursing homes."

"It is a shameful place for Florida to be," she said on Thursday.

Melvin said that "I don't know how anyone who makes minimum wage can put a roof over their head." Melvin wants to raise minimum wage and to come up with viable affordable housing plan.

She addressed why voters should consider taking a chance on her.

"It depends on your point of view," Melvin noted. "People should be treated equally under the law. People should not be discriminated against based on race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. If you believe that we should improve funding for education and health care, if you are worried about climate change, then I would be the person you need to vote for."

Joe Callahan can be reached at 867-4113 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews.

State House of Representatives

District 33 covers a small portion of southern of Marion County. Representatives serve two-year terms and are paid $29,697 per year. Representatives can serve no more than four two-year terms.

Brett Hage

Age: 45

Party: Republican

Experience: Incumbent in District 33, first elected in 2018; serves on many state House committees and subcommittees, including business & professions, commerce, PreK-12 appropriations, PreK-12 innovation, as well as the local, federal & veterans affairs. He is the former president of the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, former Sumter County Industrial Development Authority chairman, former Sumter Zoning & Adjustment Board vice chairman, and was the 2018 Volunteer of the Year for the Florida Economic Development Council/East Central Region.

Learn more: bretthage.com

Mamie "Dee" Melvin

Age: 69

Party: Democrat

Experience: A 30-year United States Air Force veteran; bachelor's in business administration from Bellevue University (Nebraska) in 1986.

Family: Married to husband, Kenneth, for 43 years.

Learn more: www.votedeemelvin.com

___

(c)2020 the Ocala Star-Banner (Ocala, Fla.)

Visit the Ocala Star-Banner (Ocala, Fla.) at www.ocala.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.