Gary Brown
Gary Brown is a retired military member who serves as director of operations and student affairs at Heartland Christian Academy in Sebring. He led the District 5 field in fundraising with about $9,700 and advanced to the November runoff for the seat vacated when Nicole Radonski resigned after moving outside the district.
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-09-18. 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 disagree· stated position
Brown names district finances, particularly rising insurance costs, as the biggest challenge but says he would not start with cuts, calling instead for the board to lay the budget out and analyze where money is going.
"You've got to spread it out on the table, dig into it and figure out where the money's going."
Education & school choice Leans agree· stated position
Brown treats state scholarship programs as settled policy, saying vouchers are here to stay and that public schools must respond with strong academic programs; he did not call for expanding or restricting them.
"Vouchers are here to stay. I think the future of education is changing."
Library and classroom materials Mixed / neutral· stated position
Brown says parents have the primary right to direct their children's upbringing while public schools serve families with a wide range of beliefs, and that balancing those interests means following Florida law, board policy and the established review procedures.
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: Property taxes, Gender identity laws, Teacher and staff pay, School safety approach. 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
- Trust and communication — Brown says rebuilding trust among parents, staff and the board is central to his campaign: 'People need to have someone they can trust.'