Rick Roth
Roth, a Republican state representative and Palm Beach County farmer, is listed by Ballotpedia in the Aug. 18, 2026 Republican primary for SD 26.
How they got on the ballot: Listed in Aug. 18, 2026 Republican primary (Ballotpedia); result NOT verified.
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-10-02. 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 Strongly agrees· stated position
Roth said government spends too much money and that conservative-oriented policy is needed, and campaigns on responsible fiscal management and property tax relief.
Property taxes Strongly agrees· stated position
Roth said he favors Amendment 3, the November ballot measure raising the homestead exemption for non-school taxes, and that property tax relief is needed, while acknowledging it would hit poorer counties with lower property values hardest.
"I just want a government we can afford. No one cuts payroll or taxes unless they are forced to."
Property insurance Mixed / neutral· based on record
Mixed. Roth voted for SB 2-A in December 2022, the market-based property-insurance law that ended one-way attorney fees and assignment of benefits and created a state reinsurance program. His 2026 remedies pull both ways: he backs penalising insurers that fail to pay claims, which is stricter regulation, and separately legislation to encourage more competition in the industry to bring prices down, which is not.
Housing affordability Leans agree· stated position
Roth said affordable housing is a major issue and that he supports building more of it, citing his work on 2021 changes that stopped the Legislature sweeping money out of the Sadowski Trust Fund; he said the money should be distributed where it is most needed.
Abortion Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted against SB 300 (2023), the 2023 law limiting most abortions to six weeks of pregnancy.
Education & school choice Strongly agrees· based on record
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.
Growth & development Strongly agrees· stated position
Roth said overdevelopment is one of the area's most pressing issues, that there should be impact fees on new residents, and that he will push to restore the pre-2012 concurrency formula so roads are built as homes are built. He also said agricultural land should be conserved to avoid urban sprawl.
"We are not building roads as fast as people are moving into Florida. We need to fund the infrastructure. There should be impact fees on new residents."
Elections & voting Strongly disagrees· based on record
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.
Crime & policing Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted for HB 1 (2021), the 2021 Combating Public Disorder law that created new riot-related offenses and penalties and let the state override local cuts to police budgets.
Gender identity laws Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted for SB 254 (2023), the 2023 law barring gender-affirming medical treatment for minors and restricting it for adults.
Energy & utilities Leans disagree· based on record
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.
No public position found on 7 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Immigration, Guns, 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
- Says climate change is no longer a live issue in the U.S. — In the same September 2026 on-camera campaign interview, Roth said, 'Climate change is dead in America now,' and described the U.S. conflict with Iran as long-term oil policy. The quotes were published by Indivisible Boca Raton, a group supporting his opponent, alongside a link to the full interview.
- Data centers — Roth said he opposes data centers unless they provide some of their own power and water: 'I am totally against data centers until we figure it all out.'
- Immigration enforcement and farm labor — Roth said increased immigration enforcement has not affected his seasonal farm because it qualifies for H-2A workers, and that the H-2A program should be expanded to the nursery and landscape, dairy and beef cattle industries, which operate year-round and do not qualify. He said solutions can come from Congress once the illegal immigrant population returns to pre-2020 levels, and his advice to workers is 'If you like your job, keep your job. The state E-Verify requirement only applies to new hires.'
- Fundraising — Raised $2,000 and spent about $130,500 between Aug. 1 and Oct. 2; held about $51,500 across his campaign and political committee as of Oct. 3.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Voted against SB 300 (2023), the 2023 law limiting most abortions to six weeks of pregnancy.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
- Voted for HB 1 (2021), the 2021 Combating Public Disorder law that created new riot-related offenses and penalties and let the state override local cuts to police budgets.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for HB 5 (2022), the 2022 law limiting most abortions to 15 weeks.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for HB 1557 (2022), the 2022 Parental Rights in Education law restricting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.Sources: Bill page · Roll-call vote
- Voted for SB 90 (2021), the 2021 elections law that added identification requirements for mail-ballot requests and limited drop-box hours.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
Endorsements (as reported)
- President Donald Trump
- Conservative Political Action Conference