Florida → House → District 47
The Florida House directory lists Paula A. Stark (R) for the 2024–26 term and gives the county coverage as Parts of Orange, Osceola.
District map · 2022 House plan
¶ Geography and communities
District 47 spans the high-growth transition corridor connecting the southeastern perimeter of Orange County with northern and eastern Osceola County.
- Municipalities Included (Full or Partial):
- City of St. Cloud: The historic civic, municipal, and population anchor of the district in Osceola County.
- City of Kissimmee (Eastern Fringes): Selected residential developments and commercial zones along the eastern municipal line.
- City of Orlando (Far Southeast Fringes): Pockets touching master-planned residential tracts south of SR 528.
- Census-Designated Places (CDPs) & Unincorporated Communities:
- Buenaventura Lakes (BVL - Eastern Portions): High-density suburban community in northern Osceola County.
- Lake Nona / Narcoossee Corridor (Orange & Osceola Segments): Rapidly expanding residential and bioscience-adjacent suburban belt.
- Holopaw & Kenansville (Northern Approaches): Rural and agricultural expanse across eastern Osceola County.
- Key Transportation & Transit Corridors:
- U.S. Highway 192 (Space Coast Parkway / 13th Street): Primary commercial and commuter arterial traversing St. Cloud and linking west toward Kissimmee and east toward Brevard County.
- State Road 417 (Central Florida GreeneWay): Major expressway skirting the northern boundary toward Orlando International Airport (MCO).
- Florida's Turnpike (SR 91): Central north-south toll spine with key exits serving St. Cloud and Kissimmee.
- Narcoossee Road (CR 15): High-traffic commuter and development corridor linking St. Cloud directly to the Lake Nona Medical City cluster in southeast Orange County.
¶ Population and electorate
(District-specific metrics based on post-2020 reapportionment; strictly excluding non-coterminous countywide totals.)
- Target Population: Standard reapportionment single-member baseline of ~179,754 residents.
- Demographic Composition:
- Racial / Ethnic Composition: Highly diverse suburban electorate. Features a substantial Hispanic/Latino population (predominantly Puerto Rican diaspora communities concentrated in Buenaventura Lakes and adjacent corridors) paired with an established non-Hispanic White voting base in historic St. Cloud and rural eastern Osceola tracts.
- Linguistic Profile: Large concentration of bilingual (English and Spanish) households, requiring language-accessible public notices, voter materials, and civic services.
- Socioeconomic Character:
- Fast-growing suburban-exurban territory defined by rapid conversion of cattle pasture and citrus groves into residential subdivisions.
- Heavy commuter workforce feeding the Greater Orlando airport logistics hub, Lake Nona medical centers, and regional hospitality facilities.
- Structural policy issues include roadway widening deficits on Narcoossee Road and US 192, school overcrowding in newly built subdivisions, and escalating property and automobile insurance rates.
¶ Elections and political context
District 47 is one of Central Florida's most closely contested suburban battleground districts, featuring a distinct Democratic voter registration advantage that has been held by Republicans due to crossover suburban voting and strong local name recognition. Florida Politics
- Partisan Index: Highly competitive suburban toss-up / lean Democratic on registration (approx. D+6 to D+8 registration tilt).
- Historical Election Results (Post-2022 Redistricting Lines):
- 2024 General Election (November 5, 2024):
- Paula Stark (R - Incumbent): 50.8% (39,403 votes)
- Maria Revelles (D - Challenger): 49.2% (38,157 votes)
- Margin: +1.6% (1,246 votes) R hold Central Florida Public Media
- 2022 General Election (November 8, 2022):
- Paula Stark (R): 51.2% (26,904 votes)
- Anthony Nieves (D): 48.8% (25,607 votes)
- Margin: +2.4% (1,297 votes) R flip
- 2022 Republican Primary (August 23, 2022):
- Paula Stark: 42.9%
- Dianna Liebnitzky: 34.7%
- Andrew Jeng: 22.4%
¶ Economic and civic anchors
- Healthcare & Life Sciences Integration:
- Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital: Acute-care hospital serving St. Cloud and east Osceola County.
- Lake Nona Medical City Perimeter: Adjacent medical research, VA Medical Center, and biotech facilities drawing a significant professional workforce living along Narcoossee Road.
- Higher Education & Workforce Facilities:
- Valencia College (Lake Nona Campus & Osceola Campus access): Key feeder institution providing degree pathways, logistics certificates, and workforce training.
- Commercial Hubs & Main Street Economy:
- Historic Downtown St. Cloud Main Street: Historic commercial and civic core governed by preservation guidelines, independent retail, and local professional services.
- US 192 Commercial Strip (13th Street): Major suburban retail power centers, big-box merchants, automotive supply shops, and hotel strips.
- Agricultural & Conservation Footprint:
- East Osceola Ranchlands & Deseret Ranches Borders: Extensive cattle, agricultural, and conservation acreage facing long-term master-planned development pressures.
¶ People and organizations to map
- Civic Coalitions & Institutional Leadership:
- St. Cloud Main Street: Influential downtown merchant and preservation organization where Representative Stark served as longtime Executive Director.
- St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce & Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce: Core business advocacy associations active in infrastructure development and local commercial growth.
- City of St. Cloud Economic Advisory Council & Historic Preservation Board: Municipal boards shaping local zoning, facade grants, and redevelopment programs.
- Local Media & Publishing Legacy:
- Osceola News-Gazette Alumni Network: Stark’s extensive tenure as former newspaper publisher established deep multi-decade civic networks across local business owners and municipal officials.
- Research Leads (Speculative Network Connections):
- Research Lead: Major residential development consortia along the Narcoossee and US 192 corridors may maintain active communication with the legislative delegation regarding Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) arterial expansion funds and school impact fee exemptions.
- Research Lead: Mobile home park tenant advocacy groups and park owner associations likely monitor the representative's committee activity closely, given her sponsorship of legislation addressing mobile home park tenancies.
¶ Representation and legislative work
- Incumbent Member: Paula Allene Stark
- Biographical Background: Born in Dothan, Alabama; long-time resident of St. Cloud, Florida. Florida House of Representatives
- Professional Background: Former newspaper publisher (Osceola News-Gazette); Executive Director of St. Cloud Main Street; civic association executive.
- Academic Background: Osceola High School; attended Florida Technological University (now University of Central Florida).
- House Committee Assignments & Leadership (2024–2026 Term):
- Vice Chair, Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee: Key leadership position overseeing budget allocations for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Department of Commerce, and regional road infrastructure projects.
- Education & Employment Committee: Full standing committee handling PreK-12 policies, workforce training, vocational trade programs, and higher education governance.
- Careers & Workforce Subcommittee: Focuses on apprenticeship pipelines, career and technical education (CTE) funding, and professional licensing standards.
- Select Committee on Property Taxes: Specialized legislative panel reviewing statutory property tax relief, assessment limits, and homestead exemptions.
- Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee: Evaluates civil litigation reform, tort liability rules, and legislative claim bills.
- Government Operations Subcommittee: Reviews state procurement protocols, agency operational efficiency, and public records statutes.
- Signature Policy Priorities: Local housing assistance plans, mobile home park tenancy protections, regional arterial road and stormwater infrastructure funding, veteran services, and small business downtown revitalization.
Research text: Gemini browser session, 2026-10-04. Officeholder and county coverage: Florida House directory. The graph keeps these leads separate from the reference office record.