House District 9 candidates disagree on state policies while sharing concerns about jobs and affordability
Democratic incumbent Allison Tant and Republican challenger Tracy Robinson offered contrasting positions on public health, education, election laws and economic development during a September 28 candidate forum for Florida House District 9.
The forum, held at WFSU Studios and organized by the Capital Region News Collaborative, the League of Women Voters of Tallahassee and the Tallahassee Democrat, provided voters an opportunity to compare the candidates seeking to represent all of Madison County and portions of Leon and Jefferson counties.
One of the most significant disagreements involved public health policies and childhood vaccinations.
Robinson supported efforts to reduce mandatory vaccination requirements, arguing that parents should have greater authority over their children’s healthcare decisions. She also raised questions about a possible connection between COVID-19 vaccinations and recent measles outbreaks.
Tant opposed weakening childhood vaccination requirements, citing concerns from medical professionals about the return of preventable diseases. She emphasized the importance of established public health protections.
Education policy revealed additional differences.
Tant criticized Florida’s expanded private school voucher program, questioning its financial transparency and the impact of state-funded scholarships on traditional public schools. She advocated greater accountability for private schools receiving taxpayer funding, including comparable academic and financial reporting requirements.
Robinson emphasized increasing teacher compensation, particularly in rural school districts struggling to recruit and retain educators. She also proposed a centralized system to track student academic performance and supported restrictions on classroom instruction involving race and gender identity.
The candidates also disagreed over election administration.
Tant criticized Florida’s Office of Election Crimes and Security, questioning whether its expenditures were justified by the number of prosecutions. She supported expanding voter access through automatic registration and longer-lasting vote-by-mail requests.
Robinson defended additional election security oversight as necessary to protect against voter fraud. She encouraged in-person voting and described participation at polling places as an important civic tradition.
Economic development produced both areas of agreement and different approaches.
Both candidates acknowledged the challenges posed by poverty, limited employment opportunities and affordability concerns in the district’s rural communities.
Robinson, an artificial intelligence engineer, proposed attracting technology companies to North Florida while seeking commitments to hire local workers.
Tant emphasized workforce training, vocational education and support for established regional industries, including agriculture and timber production. She argued that investments in technical education and infrastructure could create employment opportunities without requiring residents to leave their communities.
The candidates also offered different perspectives on campaign fundraising.
Tant pointed to her financial support and legislative experience as evidence of her relationships throughout the district and her ability to advance legislation in Tallahassee.
Robinson emphasized her limited fundraising and grassroots campaign, arguing that her independence from major donors would allow her to represent constituents without pressure from special interests.
The contest pits a three-term Democratic incumbent with legislative experience against a Republican challenger seeking her first elected office.
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