Berny Jacques
Seminole-area Republican elected to the Florida House in 2022. A former prosecutor and civil litigator with degrees from Washington Adventist University and Stetson University College of Law, he was appointed by Gov. DeSantis to the 6th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. He says affordability is the state's most important issue.
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-10-17. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Taxes & spending Leans agree· stated position
Jacques named cost of living as the top issue and listed lowering taxes and fees first among his fixes.
"The issue can be fixed by lowering taxes/fees, lowering insurance rates, attracting high paying jobs, and by stopping corporate ownership single-family homes."
Property taxes Strongly agrees· stated position
He voted for HJR 1-F and has publicly defended Amendment 3, saying local governments have other places to cut and accusing the City of Largo of using public safety as a scare tactic against the measure.
"The city was going to use public safety as a scare tactic to get folks to vote against property tax relief."
Property insurance Leans disagree· based on record
Voted for SB 2-A (Dec. 2022), the December 2022 property-insurance law that ended one-way attorney fees and assignment of benefits and created a state reinsurance program, a market-based approach; a vote for it is coded as leaning against more direct state intervention.
Housing affordability Leans agree· based on record
Voted for CS/SB 102 (2023), the 2023 Live Local Act that put $711 million into state housing programs, required local governments to allow multifamily housing in commercial areas when at least 40 percent of units are affordable, and created property-tax exemptions for affordable developments; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward more government action on housing.
Immigration Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted yes on SB 2-C (2025), which created the State Board of Immigration Enforcement, required state help with federal detainers, barred driver licenses for unauthorized immigrants, and funded an Unauthorized Alien Transport Program.
Abortion Strongly disagrees· based on record
Voted yes on SB 300 (2023), the law that limits most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Guns Strongly disagrees· based on record
Voted yes on HB 543 (2023), which allows carrying a concealed firearm without a state license.
Health care Leans disagree· stated position
Asked how Florida should handle Medicaid, Jacques said the focus should be on waste, fraud and abuse rather than on changing eligibility.
"We should focus on fixing any waste, fraud and abuse in the program."
Education & school choice Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted yes on HB 1 (2023), which removed income limits and enrollment caps so state scholarship funds can follow any K-12 student to private or home education.
Growth & development Leans agree· stated position
Jacques said he voted for the current law letting counties and cities ban data centers in their communities, which also bars data centers from passing energy costs to consumers and includes water protections.
"I proudly voted for the current law that allows counties and cities to ban data centers in their communities."
Elections & voting Strongly disagrees· based on record
Voted for SB 7050 (2023), the 2023 elections law that raised penalties and shortened deadlines for third-party voter-registration groups and changed vote-by-mail and voter-roll procedures.
Crime & policing Strongly agrees· stated position
A former prosecutor, he says public safety starts with backing law enforcement and that government should never cut public-safety funding.
"Public safety starts with backing the men and women, backing the blue, the people who do this job day in and day out."
Gender identity laws Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted for SB 254 (2023), the 2023 law barring gender-affirming medical treatment for minors and restricting it for adults.
Energy & utilities Leans disagree· based on record
Voted for CS/CS/HB 1645 (2024), the 2024 energy law that removed climate change as a priority of state energy policy, repealed several renewable-energy goals and grant programs, banned offshore wind turbines in state waters and eased regulation of natural-gas pipelines; a vote for it is coded as leaning against promoting renewable energy.
No public position found on 4 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Environment & water, Marijuana, Trump administration, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Affordability — In a Tampa Bay 28 questionnaire he called affordability the most important issue and said he has passed bills addressing cost of living.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Voted yes on CS/HJR 1F (homestead property-tax exemption increase / Amendment 3), House passage 75-26, June 2, 2026.
- Voted yes on SB 2-C (Immigration enforcement), House passage 85-30, Feb. 13, 2025.
- Voted yes on SB 300 (six-week abortion limit), House passage 70-40, April 13, 2023.
- Voted yes on CS/HB 543 (permitless concealed carry), House passage 76-32, March 24, 2023.
- Voted yes on CS/CS/CS/CS/HB 1 (universal school-choice scholarships), House passage 83-27, March 17, 2023.
- Voted for CS/HJR 1-F (2026), the June 2026 joint resolution that placed Amendment 3 on the ballot to raise the non-school homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028 and let counties and cities exempt homesteads entirely; because the vote sent the question to voters rather than cutting taxes itself, a vote for it is coded as leaning toward sharply reducing homestead property taxes rather than as full agreement.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for CS/CS/HB 1645 (2024), the 2024 energy law that removed climate change as a priority of state energy policy, repealed several renewable-energy goals and grant programs, banned offshore wind turbines in state waters and eased regulation of natural-gas pipelines; a vote for it is coded as leaning against promoting renewable energy.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for CS/SB 102 (2023), the 2023 Live Local Act that put $711 million into state housing programs, required local governments to allow multifamily housing in commercial areas when at least 40 percent of units are affordable, and created property-tax exemptions for affordable developments; a vote for it is coded as leaning toward more government action on housing.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for SB 2-C (2025), the February 2025 special-session immigration law that created a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, made entering Florida as an unauthorized immigrant a state crime and required local cooperation with federal detention.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for SB 300 (2023), the 2023 law limiting most abortions to six weeks of pregnancy.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for HB 543 (2023), the 2023 law allowing adults to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for HB 1 (2023), the 2023 law that made every Florida student eligible for a state-funded scholarship usable at private schools or for home education.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for SB 254 (2023), the 2023 law barring gender-affirming medical treatment for minors and restricting it for adults.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for SB 7050 (2023), the 2023 elections law that raised penalties and shortened deadlines for third-party voter-registration groups and changed vote-by-mail and voter-roll procedures.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for SB 2-A (Dec. 2022), the December 2022 property-insurance law that ended one-way attorney fees and assignment of benefits and created a state reinsurance program, a market-based approach; a vote for it is coded as leaning against more direct state intervention.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2026: Jacques sent the City of Seminole a letter saying its Amendment 3 web page amounted to taxpayer-funded electioneering and warning of a possible Florida Elections Commission complaint; on Sept. 30 the City Council voted to keep the page but remove two news articles and outside groups' statements opposing the amendment.