Karen Perez
Perez was first elected to the countywide District 6 seat in 2018. She is a licensed clinical social worker and small-business owner who has worked in mental health, family services, veterans' care and juvenile justice probation. She led the Aug. 18, 2026 primary with about 48% and faces Kenneth Gay in the Nov. 3 runoff.
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. 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.
Library and classroom materials Strongly disagrees· stated position
In a Keep Florida Reading questionnaire, Perez said parents have a right to be involved in what their own child reads but that one parent's preference should not determine what is available to every family. She said challenged materials should be judged as a whole by qualified educators under district policy and state law, and opposed automatically posting every challenge with only a title and author.
"One family's objection should be heard and respected, but it should not automatically determine what other families and students may choose to access."
Teacher and staff pay Leans agree· stated position
Perez's campaign site says she has worked to keep limited resources in the classroom and pushed for budget shortfalls to be absorbed first at the administrative level rather than by teachers and support staff, criticizing spending on software and top executive payroll.
School safety approach Leans disagree· stated position
At a July 2026 candidate forum Perez, a clinical social worker, said student behavior problems should be looked at differently and stressed meeting students' mental-health needs before situations escalate.
"we could have a different look at what's happening"
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: Taxes & spending, Property taxes, Education & school choice, Gender identity laws. 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
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Hillsborough County School Board members Lynn Gray and Jessica Vaughn, Alachua County School Board member Sarah Rockwell, and Ruth's List Florida
- Tampa Bay Times (editorial recommendation; published Oct. 4)
- Sierra Club Florida