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Florida House, District 36

Rachel Plakon

RepublicanIncumbentReal estate investment company and brokerage owner; state representative (first elected 2022)

Plakon, of Lake Mary, owns a real estate investment company and brokerage and previously worked as a commercial land specialist. She holds an MBA from Florida International University, served on the Florida Commission on the Status of Women and was elected to the House in 2022.

Campaign website ↗Ballotpedia profile ↗

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.

Taxes & spending Strongly agrees· stated position

Statement: "Cutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services."

Her site calls her a champion for lower taxes and cites record $4.2 billion in tax cuts.

"record tax cuts of $4.2 billion dollars"

Sources: Rachel Plakon for Florida House (campaign site) (2026-09)

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."

Voted for HJR 203 (Feb. 19, 2026), which would phase out all non-school property taxes on homesteads, and for HJR 1F (June 2, 2026), which placed the Amendment 3 homestead-exemption increase on the November ballot.

Sources: Floor Vote for CS/CS/HJR 203, Elimination of Non-school Pro… (2026-02-19) · Floor Vote for CS/HJR 1F, Save Our Homes from Excessive Pro… (2026-06-02) · 2026 Voter's Guide - Florida House District 36, Republican … (2026-07-31)

Property insurance Leans disagree· 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 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: 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 Strongly agrees· based on record

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

Voted for SB 2-C in the February 2025 special session, which created a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, required state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and added state penalties for people in the country illegally. She also sponsored HB 1589 aimed at illegal immigration.

"help stop illegal immigration into Florida"

Sources: Floor Vote for SB 2-C, Immigration (2025 special session), … (2025-02-13) · Rachel Plakon for Florida House (campaign site) (2026-09)

Abortion Strongly disagrees· based on record

Statement: "Abortion should be legal in most cases (Florida's six-week ban should be repealed or loosened)."

Voted for SB 300 (2023), the Heartbeat Protection Act, which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

Sources: Floor Vote for SB 300, Pregnancy and Parenting Support (Hea… (2023-04-13)

Guns Strongly disagrees· 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)."

Voted for HB 543 (2023), which allowed carrying a concealed firearm without a license, and for HB 759 (2025) and HB 133 (2026), which would lower the minimum age to buy a rifle or shotgun from 21 to 18.

Sources: Floor Vote for CS/HB 543, Public Safety (permitless conceal… (2023-03-24) · Floor Vote for HB 759, Minimum Age for Firearm Purchase or … (2025-03-26) · Floor Vote for HB 133, Minimum Age for Firearm Purchase or … (2026-01-15)

Education & school choice Strongly agrees· based on record

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

Voted for HB 1 (2023), which opened Florida's private-school scholarship (voucher) programs to every K-12 student regardless of family income. Her site lists support for school choice.

Sources: Floor Vote for CS/CS/CS/CS/HB 1, Education (universal schoo… (2023-03-17) · Rachel Plakon for Florida House (campaign site) (2026-09)

Growth & development Leans agree· stated position

Statement: "Growth and development should be slowed or more tightly regulated (higher impact fees, density limits, stronger local control)."

Supports keeping Seminole County's rural boundary and voted to let local governments decide on data centers.

Sources: 2026 Voter's Guide - Florida House District 36, Republican … (2026-07-31) · Rachel Plakon for Florida House (campaign site) (2026-09)

Elections & voting Strongly disagrees· based on record

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

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

Crime & policing Leans agree· stated position

Statement: "Criminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation."

Cites HB 365 to hold drug dealers accountable and a ban on tianeptine, and pledges to maintain law and order.

"maintain law and order to keep our streets safe"

Sources: Rachel Plakon for Florida House (campaign site) (2026-09)

Gender identity laws Strongly agrees· 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 for 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 disagree· 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 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: 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 5 issues

We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Health care, 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

Fundraising — As of Sept. 18 Plakon had raised $196,285, including $61,406 from Republican groups, according to state records cited by the Orlando Sentinel.
Sources: Orlando Sentinel, Sanford Democrat Darryl Block challenges … (2026-10-07)

Record: votes, actions and documented facts

Did not respond to the News 6 or Vote411 2026 questionnaires.
Sources: 2026 Voter's Guide - Florida House District 36, Republican … (2026-07-31) · State Representative 36 — VOTE411 Voter Guide (League of Wo… (2026-09)
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

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