Nik Dean
Nikolas 'Nik' Dean, a Seminole County attorney, was chosen by Democratic leaders on Aug. 31, 2026 to replace Michelle DeJesus, who withdrew, as the Democratic nominee for HD 38 (Florida Democratic Party release; Florida Politics). His launch statement focuses on lowering everyday costs, raising wages and safety; no issue-by-issue positions were published as of Sept. 18, 2026.
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-09-30. 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.
Property taxes Strongly disagrees· stated position
Dean said he will vote No on Amendment 3, saying Floridians need relief but not at the cost of cutting funding for first responders, libraries and police, and that the benefits for homeowners would not reach renters or business owners.
"I will vote NO. Floridians need relief, but not at the cost of slashing funding to resources like our first responders, libraries and police force."
Property insurance Strongly agrees· stated position
In the Oviedo Community News general-election questionnaire (Sept. 30, 2026) Dean named home ownership and property insurance as a top problem and said the cost of property insurance should be reduced by capping how much insurers can raise premiums.
"We also need to decrease the cost of property insurance by capping the amount property insurers can increase premiums."
Housing affordability Strongly agrees· stated position
Dean said the supply of affordable housing should be increased through what he called smart development, including building new affordable housing and retrofitting underutilized properties, while protecting the county's character and ecosystem.
"We need to increase the supply of affordable housing through smart development, which includes building new affordable housing solutions and retrofitting underutilized properties."
Immigration Leans disagree· stated position
Dean said the federal government should deport undocumented immigrants with a history of violent crime and that borders should be secure, but that there must also be a clear pathway to citizenship for other immigrants, and that state funds should not be used to build or run immigration detention facilities.
"we should not utilize state funds to create and run immigration detention facilities"
Abortion Strongly agrees· stated position
Dean said he supports amending Florida's constitution to codify abortion rights comparable to those under Roe v. Wade and supports a woman's right to choose.
"I support an amendment to Florida's constitution codifying abortion rights akin to those previously afforded under Roe."
Health care Strongly agrees· stated position
Dean said he would work to expand access to health care and child care through tax incentives for employers that offer comprehensive benefits and would add accountability and transparency to medication pricing so insurers cannot block access to care.
"No one should have to choose between groceries and medicine."
Environment & water Strongly agrees· stated position
Asked to name the biggest environmental issue in his district, Dean said the destruction of Seminole County's wetlands, saying prioritizing rapid development over wetland preservation increases flood risk and depletes the aquifer.
"Development must be executed with an intention to protect Florida's ecosystem."
Growth & development Leans agree· stated position
Dean said he does not support state preemption as a general principle because local issues require local solutions, and that he would vote to protect Seminole County's voter-approved rural boundary, describing a communal approach to development as necessary.
"the government's role is to serve the interests of their constituents, not the interests of a few developers"
Energy & utilities Leans agree· stated position
On rising utility costs and data centers, Dean said AI companies should not socialize the cost of added water and energy demand while privatizing the profits, and that legislators should ensure data centers rather than Floridians carry those costs.
"AI companies cannot socialize the rising costs of utilities and privatize the profits of the data centers creating these rising costs."
No public position found on 9 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Guns, Education & school choice, Marijuana, Elections & voting, Crime & policing, Gender identity laws, 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
- — Says hard work alone is not enough when groceries, gas, housing, health care and insurance outpace wages, and pledges practical solutions that lower everyday costs and raise wages.
- Affordability — In his qualifying announcement Dean said his campaign is focused on the state's affordability crisis and on lowering the cost of groceries, gas, housing, health care and insurance for Seminole County families and seniors; he said he would 'hit the ground running, meet voters where they are, and hear their concerns about the real issues.'
- Cost of living — Dean says he is running because of what he calls the state's affordability crisis, arguing that wages are not keeping up with everyday costs, and that he would focus on lowering costs, raising wages and making communities safe and affordable. He has not published detailed positions on individual bills.
- Fundraising — As of Oct. 2 Dean had raised nearly $37,000, including $23,000 from the Florida House Democratic Campaign, per the Orlando Sentinel.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Michelle DeJesus (former Democratic nominee for HD 38, who withdrew)
- Service Employees International Union Florida State Council (SEIU FL)
- Orlando Sentinel editorial board