Florida → House → District 55
The Florida House directory lists this seat as vacant, pending an election.
District map · 2022 House plan
¶ Geography and communities
Under the redistricting plan enacted for Florida legislative seats, House District 55 is configured across central Pasco County, stretching between the suburban Tampa commuter belt in the south and the Nature Coast/Hernando county line to the north.
- Municipalities & Urban Centers (Full or Partial):
- City of Port Richey (Eastern Peripheries): Inland commercial and residential parcels buffering coastal districts.
- City of New Port Richey (Eastern Infill): Inland eastern suburban corridors.
- Census-Designated Places (CDPs) & Unincorporated Communities:
- Land O' Lakes: High-density, fast-growing suburban lake community forming the primary population and commercial core of central Pasco.
- Trinity (Northern & Eastern Sectors): Master-planned golf and suburban communities bordering Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
- Odessa (Pasco County Portion): Affluent residential, equestrian, and lakefront estates along the Hillsborough line.
- Shady Hills (Southern & Central Sectors): Rural-suburban residential and light-industrial tracts situated along the northern tier.
- Hudson (Eastern / Inland Sections): Inland suburban residential neighborhoods east of US 19.
- Connerton: Large-scale master-planned new-town community situated north of Land O' Lakes along US 41.
- Key Transportation & Commuter Corridors:
- State Road 589 (Suncoast Parkway): Critical north-south limited-access toll expressway facilitating rapid commuter travel between Citrus/Hernando and downtown Tampa/Tampa International Airport.
- U.S. Highway 41 (Land O' Lakes Boulevard): Primary north-south commercial and arterial spine bisecting Land O' Lakes.
- State Road 54: Heavy-volume east-west suburban commercial arterial linking Trinity, Odessa, and Land O' Lakes toward I-75.
- State Road 52: Major east-west connector running through central Pasco between the Suncoast Parkway, US 41, and I-75.
¶ Population and electorate
(District-specific markers based on enacted redistricting profiles; excludes non-coterminous countywide totals.)
- Target Population: Standard reapportionment single-member baseline of ~179,754 residents post-2020 redistricting.
- Demographic Composition:
- Racial / Ethnic Composition: Predominantly non-Hispanic White population, with rapidly growing Hispanic/Latino (predominantly Puerto Rican, Cuban, and South American diasporas) populations settling throughout the master-planned communities of Land O' Lakes, Connerton, and Trinity. An established African American and multiracial population is distributed across central suburban and working-class enclaves.
- Household Structure: Predominance of family households and married couples with school-aged children, alongside active-adult retirees residing in gated golf developments.
- Socioeconomic Character:
- Strong commuter suburban economy tied to corporate, financial, and healthcare employment centers in northern Hillsborough County and Westshore/Downtown Tampa.
- Fast-paced residential conversion: former citrus groves, ranches, and pine flatwoods rapidly transitioning into high-density master-planned subdivisions.
- Key regional issues center around roadway widening backlogs on SR 54 and SR 52, school construction capacity, sinkhole mitigation, and elevated homeowners' and auto insurance premiums.
¶ Elections and political context
District 55 functions as a solidly Republican district, characterized by high suburban voter turnout, business-friendly civic organizations, and strong conservative margins in suburban and master-planned precincts.
- Partisan Index: Solid Republican (R+18 to R+24 baseline performance).
- Recent General & Primary Election History:
- 2024 General Election (November 5, 2024):
- Kevin Steele (R - Incumbent): 64.2% (69,763 votes)
- Judy Freiberg (D - Challenger): 35.8% (38,853 votes)
- Margin: +28.4% (30,910 votes) R hold
- 2022 General Election (November 8, 2022):
- Kevin Steele (R): 77.5% (58,130 votes)
- Charles Hacker Jr. (Constitution Party): 22.5% (16,857 votes)
- Margin: +55.0% R victory
- 2022 Republican Primary (August 23, 2022):
- Kevin Steele: 59.1% (10,961 votes)
- Gabriel Papadopoulos: 27.5% (5,105 votes)
- Brad Sollberger: 13.4% (2,486 votes)
- Voter Resources & Official Information:
¶ Economic and civic anchors
- Healthcare Infrastructure:
- HCA Florida Trinity Hospital: 340+ bed all-private-room acute care hospital providing emergency services, comprehensive cardiac care, robotic surgery, and cancer treatment in southwestern Pasco.
- AdventHealth Center Ice (Wesley Chapel / Land O' Lakes border): Largest ice sports and recreation complex in the southeastern United States, serving as an economic generator for regional sports tourism.
- Higher Education & Workforce Training:
- Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC): Operates educational branches within reach of the central district corridor, feeding associate degrees, nursing programs, and vocational certifications.
- Commercial Retail & Lifestyle Centers:
- SR 54 / Suncoast Parkway Commercial Corridor: Concentrated retail centers, grocers, medical office complexes, and auto dealerships driving regional sales-tax generation.
- Environmental & Water Resource Assets:
- Starkey Wilderness Preserve (J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park): Expansive 8,000+ acre regional park and water-recharge basin buffering western and central Pasco, protecting regional wellfields.
- Cypress Creek Wellfield & Preserve: Major regional drinking water aquifer infrastructure supplying municipal potable water to the Tampa Bay Water regional utility system.
¶ People and organizations to map
- Civic Coalitions & Institutional Bodies:
- Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce: Core business advocacy network supporting commerce and infrastructure development across Land O' Lakes, Lutz, and Odessa.
- Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (West Pasco Government Center): Central governing body shaping land development codes, comprehensive plans, and mobility fee structures for fast-growing central Pasco corridors.
- Pasco County Sheriff's Office: Key local constitutional office with broad institutional influence across municipal and unincorporated civic safety operations.
- Donor Networks & Industry PACs:
- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) & Florida Home Builders PAC: Prominent commercial development and homebuilding networks investing heavily along the SR 54 growth corridor.
- First Responder & Public Safety Labor Groups: Pasco County Professional Firefighters (IAFF Local 4420) and regional Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) lodges.
- Research Leads (Speculative Network Connections):
- Research Lead: Master-planned residential developers (such as those behind Bexley, Connerton, and Asturia) likely maintain ongoing communications with the delegation regarding regional transportation concurrency, wetland mitigation banking, and state roadway interchange appropriations.
- Research Lead: Regional engineering firms and stormwater infrastructure contractors bidding on Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) corridor widening along State Road 52 and State Road 54 may actively interface with county legislative members for state matching funds.
¶ Representation and legislative work
- Incumbent Status: Vacant (following the resignation of Representative Kevin M. Steele on August 7, 2026).
- Predecessor Profile (Kevin M. Steele):
- Background: Healthcare technology entrepreneur; CEO and founder of Data Smart Web, LLC; served as state representative from November 2022 to August 2026.
- Previous Committee Assignments (2024–2026 Term):
- Healthcare Facilities & Systems Subcommittee
- Insurance & Banking Subcommittee
- Higher Education Budget Subcommittee
- Energy, Communications & Cybersecurity Subcommittee
- Delegation Administration & Intergovernmental Representation:
- Legislative matters affecting District 55 during the interim vacancy are coordinated through the Pasco County Legislative Delegation alongside neighboring representatives (HD 53, HD 54, and HD 56).
- Legislative Priorities for the District Core:
- Expanding east-west arterial roadway capacity (SR 54 / SR 52) to handle commuter volumes.
- Homeowner property insurance stability and mitigation of storm/sinkhole risks.
- Supporting public safety infrastructure and first responder recruitment.
- Water supply preservation through the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) to safeguard local aquifer recharge zones.
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.