Florida House, District 101

Hillary Cassel

RepublicanIncumbentState representative; attorney (co-founder of an insurance-litigation law firm); former Broward prosecutor

Hillary Cassel is a Dania Beach attorney first elected to House District 101 as a Democrat in 2022; she switched to the Republican Party in December 2024, citing the Democratic Party's stance on Israel and its disconnect from everyday Floridians. She holds a law degree from Nova Southeastern University and previously worked as a prosecutor. She serves as vice chair of the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee.

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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

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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.

Property taxes Strongly agrees· based on record

Statement: "Florida should eliminate or sharply reduce homestead property taxes, even if local governments must cut services or find other revenue."

Cassel voted for HJR 203 (elimination of non-school homestead taxes) and for the HJR 1-F amendment placed on the 2026 ballot.

Sources: Florida House roll call, CS/CS/HJR 203 (2026), passage 80-30 (2026-02-19) · Florida House roll call, CS/HJR 1-F (2026 special session),… (2026-06-02)

Property insurance Leans agree· based on record

Statement: "The state should intervene more directly in the property-insurance market (rate caps, expanding Citizens, stricter insurer regulation) rather than relying mainly on market-based reforms."

Voted against 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: SB 2-A (Dec. 2022) bill page - The Florida Senate (2022-12) · SB 2-A (Dec. 2022) roll-call vote (House) (2022-12)

Housing affordability Leans agree· based on record

Statement: "Government should do more to make housing affordable (subsidies, zoning changes, rent measures)."

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: CS/SB 102 (2023) bill page - The Florida Senate (2023-03-24) · CS/SB 102 (2023) roll-call vote (House) (2023-03-24)

Immigration Leans agree· based on record

Statement: "Immigration enforcement should be stricter, including large-scale deportation of people in the country illegally."

Cassel voted for SB 2-C, the 2025 state immigration-enforcement package.

Sources: Florida House roll call, SB 2-C (2025 special session, immi… (2025-02-13)

Abortion Strongly agrees· based on record

Statement: "Abortion should be legal in most cases (Florida's six-week ban should be repealed or loosened)."

Cassel voted against SB 300, the six-week abortion law, in 2023, and after switching parties said she remains pro-choice and does not support the six-week ban.

Sources: Florida House roll call, SB 300 (2023 six-week abortion law… (2023-04-13) · CBS News Miami: One on one with State Rep. Hillary Cassel (… (2025-01-19)

Guns Strongly agrees· based on record

Statement: "Gun laws should be stricter (keep the red-flag law and the age-21 purchase rule; expand background checks) rather than looser (permitless or open carry, lower purchase age)."

Cassel voted against permitless carry (HB 543) in 2023 and against lowering the long-gun purchase age to 18 in both 2025 and 2026.

Sources: Florida House roll call, CS/HB 543 (2023 permitless carry),… (2023-03-24) · Florida House roll call, HB 759 (2025, lower long-gun purch… (2025-03-26) · Florida House roll call, HB 133 (2026, lower long-gun purch… (2026-01-15)

Education & school choice Strongly disagrees· based on record

Statement: "Public money should follow students to private, charter or home schools (universal school vouchers)."

Cassel voted against HB 1, the 2023 universal school-choice expansion.

Sources: Florida House roll call, CS/CS/CS/CS/HB 1 (2023 universal s… (2023-03-17)

Elections & voting Strongly agrees· based on record

Statement: "Voting should be made easier (mail voting, drop boxes, restoring voting rights) rather than adding new restrictions."

Voted against 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: SB 7050 (2023) bill page - The Florida Senate (2023-04) · SB 7050 (2023) roll-call vote (House) (2023-04)

Gender identity laws Strongly disagrees· based on record

Statement: "Florida's laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors and classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity should remain in place."

Voted against SB 254 (2023), the 2023 law barring gender-affirming medical treatment for minors and restricting it for adults.

Sources: SB 254 (2023) bill page - The Florida Senate (2023-05-04) · SB 254 (2023) roll-call vote (House) (2023-05-04)

Energy & utilities Leans agree· based on record

Statement: "Government should promote renewable energy and tighten oversight of utility rate increases, even at the expense of fossil-fuel production."

Voted against 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: CS/CS/HB 1645 (2024) bill page - The Florida Senate (2024-03-07) · CS/CS/HB 1645 (2024) roll-call vote (House) (2024-03-07)

No public position found on 8 issues

We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Health care, Environment & water, Growth & development, Marijuana, Crime & policing, 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

Party switch and Israel — Announcing her switch to the GOP in December 2024, Cassel said she was troubled by the Democratic Party's failure to unequivocally support Israel and its tolerance of extreme progressive voices; she said she remains pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ rights and would focus on housing and property insurance.
Sources: WUSF: A second Florida House Democrat flips to the Republic… (2024-12-28) · CBS News Miami: One on one with State Rep. Hillary Cassel (2025-01-19)

Record: votes, actions and documented facts

CS/HJR 1-F (2026 special session), the homestead property-tax amendment (Amendment 3): voted Yes
Sources: Florida House roll call, CS/HJR 1-F (2026 special session),… (2026-06-02)
CS/CS/HJR 203 (2026), proposal to eliminate non-school property taxes on homesteads: voted Yes
Sources: Florida House roll call, CS/CS/HJR 203 (2026), passage 80-30 (2026-02-19)
SB 2-C (2025 special session), state immigration-enforcement package: voted Yes
Sources: Florida House roll call, SB 2-C (2025 special session, immi… (2025-02-13)
HB 1 (2023), universal school-choice vouchers: voted No
Sources: Florida House roll call, CS/CS/CS/CS/HB 1 (2023 universal s… (2023-03-17)
SB 300 (2023), the six-week abortion law: voted No
Sources: Florida House roll call, SB 300 (2023 six-week abortion law… (2023-04-13)
HB 543 (2023), permitless concealed carry: voted No
Sources: Florida House roll call, CS/HB 543 (2023 permitless carry),… (2023-03-24)
HB 759 (2025), lowering the long-gun purchase age from 21 to 18: voted No
Sources: Florida House roll call, HB 759 (2025, lower long-gun purch… (2025-03-26)
HB 133 (2026), lowering the long-gun purchase age from 21 to 18: voted No
Sources: Florida House roll call, HB 133 (2026, lower long-gun purch… (2026-01-15)
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 against 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 against SB 300 (2023), the 2023 law limiting most abortions to six weeks of pregnancy.
Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
Voted against HB 543 (2023), the 2023 law allowing adults to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.
Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
Voted against 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 against 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 against 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 against 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

Endorsements (as reported)

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Florida East Coast Chapter
Sources: ABC Florida East Coast Announces 2026 General Election Endo… (2026-10-15)

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