Florida House, District 68
Represents District 68 (Part of Hillsborough) in the Florida House; votes on state laws and the state budget. Term: 2 years.
Partly verified. Either the November opponent could not be confirmed from available sources, or only a few positions are documented. Confirm the full candidate list on your county sample ballot; unknown positions are shown as such.
How we verified who is on the ballot
Candidate list taken from the Florida Division of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list on 2026-09-18 ; statuses Qualified/Unopposed only. Counties from the Legislature's district listings.
Debates and forums
- No debate or candidate forum has been scheduled in this race (checked Oct. 17, 2026). Checked Vote411's Florida debates-and-forums calendar, the League of Women Voters of Florida newsroom, the county Leagues, chambers of commerce, Tiger Bay clubs and local NAACP branches; every legislative forum they list was held during the primary.
Candidates
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Ryan Gill
Sixth-generation Floridian who runs his family's cattle ranch in southeast Hillsborough County, land the family has worked for over 120 years. He was Farm Credit Agriculturalist of the Year in 2022 and serves on the Hillsborough County Cattlemen's Association board. Married with four children. His website lists no iss…
Tony Smith
Former firefighter with Tampa Fire Rescue and emergency medical technician with Hillsborough County Public Schools. He ran for Plant City Commission in 2026, losing a May 26 runoff 53-47 percent. No campaign website or issue statements were found.
Side-by-side on the major issues
Each row is a statement. The chips show how each candidate's stated positions or record relate to that statement. Expand a row to read the evidence and sources. "No public position found" means we could not find a statement or record on the topic, not that the candidate has none.
| Issue | Ryan Gill Republican | Tony Smith Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spendingCutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services. | Strongly agrees· stated position Gill said he would cut the cost of living by reducing insurance, energy and tax burdens and red tape, and would make government live within its means so families keep more of their paychecks. | No public position found |
| Property taxesFlorida should eliminate or sharply reduce homestead property taxes, even if local governments must cut services or find other revenue. | Strongly agrees· stated position Asked what he would do about the cost of living, Gill said he would cut property insurance and property tax. | No public position found |
| Property insuranceThe 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. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Housing affordabilityGovernment should do more to make housing affordable (subsidies, zoning changes, rent measures). | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Smith listed access to affordable housing among the everyday costs he would address for working families. |
| ImmigrationImmigration enforcement should be stricter, including large-scale deportation of people in the country illegally. | No public position found | No public position found |
| AbortionAbortion should be legal in most cases (Florida's six-week ban should be repealed or loosened). | No public position found | No public position found |
| GunsGun 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). | Leans disagree· stated position Gill listed defending the Second Amendment, along with parental rights and constitutional limits on government, among his three top priorities. | No public position found |
| Health careGovernment should expand its role in health coverage (expand Medicaid in Florida, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies). | Leans disagree· stated position Gill said Medicaid and health spending should center on children, eliminating the waitlist for Floridians with disabilities and extending benefits for new mothers, which he said protects the state budget; he did not back expansion. | Strongly agrees· stated position Smith said Florida should expand Medicaid, with a focus on preventive care, reducing fraud and stronger drug and insurance negotiations. |
| Education & school choicePublic money should follow students to private, charter or home schools (universal school vouchers). | No public position found | No public position found |
| Environment & waterProtecting water quality, conservation land and climate resilience should take priority even if it slows development or raises costs. | Leans agree· stated position Gill, a former chair of the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District, said water and land come first and that data centers should be stopped from draining the state's water and paving over farmland. | No public position found |
| Growth & developmentGrowth and development should be slowed or more tightly regulated (higher impact fees, density limits, stronger local control). | Mixed / neutral· stated position Gill's answers point both ways: he says data centers should be stopped from draining water and paving over farmland and that 'water and land come first,' while also saying he is running to stop government from overregulating landowners and farmers and wants 'targeted yes, blanket no' rules. | Leans agree· stated position Smith's District 68 campaign site lists 'managing responsible growth' among four priorities, saying development should be matched with roads, schools, utilities and infrastructure before new expansion is approved. |
| MarijuanaRecreational marijuana should be legal for adults. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Elections & votingVoting should be made easier (mail voting, drop boxes, restoring voting rights) rather than adding new restrictions. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Crime & policingCriminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation. | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position His site lists public safety as a priority, saying he would support first responders, invest in crime prevention and stand behind law enforcement and firefighters. He does not address criminal penalties or sentencing. |
| Gender identity lawsFlorida's laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors and classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity should remain in place. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Energy & utilitiesGovernment should promote renewable energy and tighten oversight of utility rate increases, even at the expense of fossil-fuel production. | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position Smith said he would start with stronger regulation of TECO's pricing practices, is open to bringing in additional energy companies to increase competition, and would explore solar and wind power, especially for public buildings. |
| Trump administrationI approve of the direction of the Trump administration. | No public position found | No public position found |
| VeteransExpanding VA services and veterans' benefits should be a top priority. | No public position found | No public position found |
Where they sit on the map
Each candidate is placed by the average of their documented stances. It is a summary of the table above, not an extra judgment.
Ryan GillTony SmithHow the axes are computed
Each axis is the average of a candidate's coded stances (+2 to −2) on a fixed set of statements, so it comes straight from the documented positions and nothing else. A candidate needs at least three documented statements on an axis to be placed.
Economic issues (toward "Smaller government (lower taxes, less spending)"): Taxes & spending (agree), Property taxes (agree), Health care (disagree), Housing affordability (disagree), Property insurance (disagree), Energy & utilities (disagree), Social Security & Medicare (disagree), Teacher and staff pay (disagree).
Social & legal issues (toward "Conservative side of the statements"): Immigration (agree), Abortion (disagree), Guns (disagree), Education & school choice (agree), Elections & voting (disagree), Crime & policing (agree), Gender identity laws (agree), Marijuana (disagree), Environment & water (disagree), Trump administration (agree), Library and classroom materials (agree), School safety approach (agree).
| Candidate | Economic issues | Social & legal issues |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Gill | 1.67 (3 statements) | not enough data |
| Tony Smith | -1.67 (3 statements) | not enough data |
Other issues the candidates have raised
Priorities each candidate has brought up on their own, beyond the major-issue list above.
Ryan Gill
- Affordability and the next generation — In a statement issued with the Associated Industries of Florida endorsement, Gill said his family's long history on the same land taught him about 'preserving opportunity for the next generation' and that in Tallahassee he would work 'to make Florida more affordable.' He named no specific policies.
- No issue positions published — Gill's campaign website carries only a biography and a contact form, with no issues page. The VOTE411 guide for State Representative 68 records 'Candidate has not yet responded' for him on all seven questions.
- AI disclosure and foreign firms — Gill said Florida should require disclosure when AI is used in politics and commerce, protect children from companion chatbots, and block Chinese-tied firms from critical infrastructure.
Tony Smith
- Affordability and infrastructure — The other two priorities on his site are lowering costs for working families and supporting small businesses, and improving transportation and addressing flooding in District 68.
- Did not answer the League of Women Voters questionnaire — The VOTE411 guide for State Representative 68 lists Smith's website and Facebook page and records 'Candidate has not yet responded' for all seven questions.
- Flock cameras and a reading program — Smith called for responsible oversight of Flock cameras alongside fully funded police and fire services, and said he would use a $1 million appropriation to create a 'Level Up' program providing tutoring for elementary students reading below grade level.