The Political Whore

Trey Traviesa, a staunch anti-abortion advocate and education leader in the House, will abandon his re-election effort to focus on his business, according to House leaders.

Here’s the official announcement that went out late yesterday afternoon:

State Representative Trey Traviesa Decides Not to Seek Re-Election

TAMPA — Although heavily favored to win reelection to the Florida House of Representatives, State Representative Trey Traviesa (R-Tampa) will ask the Florida Division of Elections to withdraw his name as a candidate for House District 56. The Hillsborough County Republican Party is expected to select a nominee to replace Traviesa on the November ballot.

“When I began my career in public service, I promised myself that I would not become a politician – someone who allows public office to determine the direction of his life,” said Traviesa. “At half-time in my service in the House, I looked ahead to the next two years and realized that it would not be possible to maintain the pace I set during the past four years. While our constitution envisions a part-time, citizen Legislature, for those of us interested in mastering public policy issues and making important, lasting change, the House quickly becomes a full-time job. I have concluded that I will not be able to do the kind of job I expect of myself – the kind of job the people of Tampa Bay expect and deserve – while also fulfilling my paramount responsibilities as a husband and father, as the president of a growing health care business, and as an officer in the United States Navy Reserve. As a result, the only right decision is for me to step aside and allow someone else to serve the people of Tampa Bay.”

“It has been a privilege to put my heart and soul into my legislative work over the last four years. Until this year, I have been blessed to be able to bring my family with me to Tallahassee, and that they have shared this remarkable experience with me has enriched my service in the House. However, as my elementary school aged children grow and the business opportunities I pursue on their behalf expand, I must focus all my energies on these priorities and walk away.”

(Photo: House of Representatives/Mark Foley)

Over the last four years, Representative Traviesa has become a leader in the House. Known most for his role in education reform, he is recognized as an expert on the state’s mammoth education budget. He has been a forceful advocate for increased accountability and has passed major legislation to expand parental choice and create new opportunities for low income students. In addition to his work on statewide education policy, Traviesa has fought for expanded parental choices in the Tampa Bay area. After visiting with several families within his district who shared their struggles raising children with autism, Traviesa created the grant program that led to the founding of the Florida Autism Center of Excellence in Tampa, only the second school of its kind in the nation.

Traviesa, who holds a B.S. in Finance from Florida State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, has also been a strong advocate for incorporating private sector principles like competition, technology and innovation into government. In 2007, he passed the “Consumer Choice Act,” landmark legislation that ended the de facto cable television monopolies and opened the cable markets to increased competition. He also sponsored the first legislation in Florida to expand the development of “clean coal” technology. He passed laws to encourage the use of electronic records by pharmacies and to facilitate the application of hurricane damage prevention to reduce windstorm insurance premiums. In 2006, Traviesa sponsored significant growth management reform that drew praise from both the business community and environmentalists.

In addition to his legislative work, Traviesa has also pushed for Tampa Bay to assume its role as a regional leader within the state. “The solution to our problems isn’t going to come from Tallahassee or Washington, it is going to come from our communities,” explains Traviesa. “We have to energize and mobilize not just public resources but the financial, commercial, educational, religious and civic resources of the greater Tampa Bay area.” That same sense of community prompted Traviesa to resurrect the long-dormant idea of a community center for the Brandon area. A public/private partnership, the Brandon Community Advantage Center is expected to break ground within the next year.

“I am proud of what I have been able to be a part of in public service. I am grateful beyond words to the many, many people who contributed to those accomplishments.”

Traviesa was elected the State House in 2004 after a competitive 6-way Republican primary. In the 2006 General Election, he received 58% of the vote to defeat a Democratic challenger. Traviesa represents District 56, which stretches from the downtown Tampa areas of Davis Islands and Harbor Island to the unincorporated areas of Brandon, Riverview and Fishhawk.

A native of Tampa Bay, Traviesa currently serves as President of the Laser Spine Institute. He lives in Tampa with his wife Nina and his two daughters, Alexa and Amelia.

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