TRANSCRIPTIE 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.110 --> 00:00:03.509
Hey, Joel Malkin for WJNO.com. My election spotlight is on
2
00:00:03.529 --> 00:00:08.029
the race for the Florida State House of Representatives, District 87. Now,
3
00:00:08.050 --> 00:00:10.890
this is the one voters may remember. In March, there
4
00:00:10.910 --> 00:00:15.789
was a special election to fill this vacant district, and
5
00:00:16.660 --> 00:00:21.940
it featured Democrat Emily Gregory and Republican John Maples. The
6
00:00:22.039 --> 00:00:27.160
Democrat Gregory ended up— it was a very close win for
7
00:00:27.219 --> 00:00:32.369
her over Maples. got some national attention, partially because it
8
00:00:32.549 --> 00:00:35.590
flipped from a pretty secure red seat to a blue
9
00:00:35.609 --> 00:00:39.789
when Gregory won this. Also because, of course, Mar-a-Lago is
10
00:00:39.990 --> 00:00:43.950
in this district as well, President Trump's home in Palm Beach.
11
00:00:44.009 --> 00:00:48.090
So we have Republican Maples on the line with us.
12
00:00:48.130 --> 00:00:49.030
Thank you for joining me.
13
00:00:50.390 --> 00:00:52.490
You're welcome, Joe. You're welcome. All right.
14
00:00:52.549 --> 00:00:55.149
So let's go back to the beginning. First of all,
15
00:00:55.189 --> 00:00:57.329
give us a little background on you for folks that
16
00:00:57.509 --> 00:01:01.799
aren't familiar. Maybe, you know, you've mentioned to me before
17
00:01:01.899 --> 00:01:07.560
that special elections really don't have huge turnouts, at least
18
00:01:07.620 --> 00:01:10.349
not the kind of turnouts that we're hoping for during
19
00:01:10.530 --> 00:01:13.109
a general election. So there are folks that, you know,
20
00:01:13.150 --> 00:01:15.530
maybe are first learning your name. Give us some background
21
00:01:15.609 --> 00:01:17.379
on you. And then I'd love to know what made
22
00:01:17.390 --> 00:01:18.920
you decide to run in the first place.
23
00:01:20.469 --> 00:01:21.390
Yeah. Okay.
24
00:01:21.569 --> 00:01:22.370
Well, I appreciate that.
25
00:01:22.409 --> 00:01:24.569
Well, my name is John Maples, and I'm a Republican
26
00:01:24.629 --> 00:01:28.969
candidate for Florida House District 87. And really, I'm really
27
00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.099
going to bring a common sense approach to the issues
28
00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:35.519
affecting Palm Beach County families every day. I am a
29
00:01:35.540 --> 00:01:40.540
20-year resident of Palm Beach County, 25 years now, financial planner,
30
00:01:40.739 --> 00:01:43.939
and spent the better part of 17 years helping families,
31
00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:47.799
individuals prepare for their future and navigate important financial decisions.
32
00:01:48.859 --> 00:01:53.530
And My, you know, I have a lot of clients
33
00:01:53.569 --> 00:01:55.109
and a lot of friends and a lot of people
34
00:01:55.150 --> 00:01:56.930
and families in Palm Beach County that I know that
35
00:01:56.969 --> 00:02:00.390
trust me that have asked me to step up and lead.
36
00:02:00.409 --> 00:02:03.189
You know, I have a 20-year-old.
37
00:02:03.010 --> 00:02:06.390
Daughter, 16-year-old daughter, married 20 years to my wife. And
38
00:02:06.430 --> 00:02:09.189
so it's us three and my daughter's going to be
39
00:02:09.210 --> 00:02:10.789
going off to school soon. And so I have the
40
00:02:10.870 --> 00:02:15.199
time and the capacity to serve in a greater way.
41
00:02:16.430 --> 00:02:17.680
For this great state of Florida.
42
00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:20.259
So that's what we're doing, Joel, and honored to have
43
00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:22.560
the opportunity to serve the folks in this community and
44
00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:23.840
bring my expertise from.
45
00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:25.740
My everyday career, my family life.
46
00:02:25.979 --> 00:02:28.099
My daughter's 16, so we got to buy her a car.
47
00:02:28.139 --> 00:02:30.419
We got to start paying car insurance. We've got some
48
00:02:30.460 --> 00:02:34.210
of the challenges that everyday families have. And so just
49
00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:36.530
jumping in for the next generation, fighting for our kids,
50
00:02:36.590 --> 00:02:38.969
our grandkids, make sure they have a common sense solution
51
00:02:39.009 --> 00:02:42.990
that's not anti-America that loves this country, that's against the
52
00:02:43.030 --> 00:02:47.310
democratic socialist movement that's happening, socialism that's happening around this country,
53
00:02:47.349 --> 00:02:51.479
where Democrats pretend to be Democrats of old when they're not,
54
00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:55.400
and they're socialists and they're communists, and they vote that
55
00:02:55.460 --> 00:02:57.919
way as well. But they tell the people that they're
56
00:02:57.939 --> 00:03:00.479
not like that, but that's genuinely what we're fighting against.
57
00:03:00.500 --> 00:03:02.689
We're fighting for our kids and their kids. Just take
58
00:03:02.729 --> 00:03:05.030
a look at France and some of these other countries
59
00:03:05.069 --> 00:03:05.750
around the world.
60
00:03:06.409 --> 00:03:10.419
Now, for the record, I did ask your opponent, point blank.
61
00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:13.460
Are you a socialist? Are you backed by the DSA?
62
00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:16.379
And she said no. And I know that when she
63
00:03:16.419 --> 00:03:20.520
campaigned for the special election and she campaigns now, she
64
00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:23.439
tries to campaign as a moderate. Do you feel that's
65
00:03:23.530 --> 00:03:24.120
not the case?
66
00:03:24.150 --> 00:03:26.550
It's definitely not the case.
67
00:03:26.629 --> 00:03:29.990
I mean, you can't be endorsed by Nancy Nixon and
68
00:03:30.469 --> 00:03:32.889
have her kind of leading the charge and directing where
69
00:03:32.909 --> 00:03:35.650
you go and learning from her and not be influenced
70
00:03:36.669 --> 00:03:41.030
by the Democratic socialist agenda. And also, you can't go
71
00:03:41.069 --> 00:03:43.979
to Tallahassee and
Load full transcript
vote no on Amendment 3 and give
72
00:03:44.020 --> 00:03:47.479
people the option to decide if they want to ultimately,
73
00:03:48.259 --> 00:03:50.620
you know, have Florida tighten their belt a little bit
74
00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:54.400
or if the American people deserve that money back.
75
00:03:54.699 --> 00:03:59.289
You know, so your votes dictate how.
76
00:03:59.129 --> 00:04:01.750
Really what's your agenda here, not kind of what you say,
77
00:04:01.789 --> 00:04:04.189
but how you vote while you're in office. And so
78
00:04:04.229 --> 00:04:06.569
that's been the telltale for us.
79
00:04:06.490 --> 00:04:07.189
Is her voting system.
80
00:04:08.460 --> 00:04:12.099
The previous, and I just mentioned this again, but the
81
00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:19.720
previous seat holder here prior to Gregory, the Republican, I
82
00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:25.439
believe won in 2024 by like 24%, if I'm correct.
83
00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:28.879
President Trump won by over 10 and a half. You
84
00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:31.040
narrowly lost. I think it was under 800 votes. You
85
00:04:31.060 --> 00:04:32.920
could correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm sure you will.
86
00:04:34.990 --> 00:04:39.100
After this, Special election, that special election, you had talked
87
00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:44.860
about a top-to-bottom campaign review. What kind of adjustments, if any,
88
00:04:44.939 --> 00:04:47.209
did you make that you're willing to share?
89
00:04:49.129 --> 00:04:55.069
Well, we made some small but very significant adjustments. that
90
00:04:55.209 --> 00:04:58.259
I am, I mean, extraordinarily proud of. And one being
91
00:04:58.300 --> 00:05:02.860
that we started to, instead of, you know, we started listening, Joe.
92
00:05:02.899 --> 00:05:05.600
We started listening to people more and showing up more.
93
00:05:05.620 --> 00:05:07.040
And with time.
94
00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:09.860
Now I can show up at these dining room tables
95
00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:12.920
and in these living rooms and sit down with families
96
00:05:12.980 --> 00:05:15.519
and listen and hear what's going on with their family,
97
00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:17.139
what are they having to pay for, show up at
98
00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:19.980
their door and just listen and spend the time listening.
99
00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:22.540
And then from there, take that back to the team
100
00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:25.920
and say, hey, this is, This is what is affecting
101
00:05:25.939 --> 00:05:28.180
the families in this church and the folks in our community,
102
00:05:28.379 --> 00:05:29.939
and this is a message that needs to go out
103
00:05:29.959 --> 00:05:30.279
to them.
104
00:05:30.699 --> 00:05:31.959
And so it's not.
105
00:05:31.860 --> 00:05:36.430
Been one of political folks managing everything, but now it's
106
00:05:36.449 --> 00:05:39.730
been more of the people that I listen to and
107
00:05:39.769 --> 00:05:42.569
the everyday person and families are the ones who are
108
00:05:42.610 --> 00:05:46.610
dictating our campaign and our messaging. We just recently did
109
00:05:47.069 --> 00:05:50.529
a little shoot where we had individual people in this
110
00:05:50.569 --> 00:05:53.300
community that aren't paid by me saying, hey, this is
111
00:05:53.329 --> 00:05:55.199
why I'm voting for John and this is why we
112
00:05:55.220 --> 00:05:55.779
support him.
113
00:05:56.680 --> 00:05:57.699
They aren't political people.
114
00:05:57.720 --> 00:06:00.879
They're just normal, everyday people going about their lives, trying
115
00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:02.740
to take care of their families and work hard. So
116
00:06:03.300 --> 00:06:04.420
that's what I'm.
117
00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:04.790
Very proud of.
118
00:06:05.610 --> 00:06:09.410
How do you feel your professional background can set you
119
00:06:09.449 --> 00:06:12.310
up for success as a legislator?
120
00:06:14.459 --> 00:06:15.639
Yeah, I mean, there's a couple of things.
121
00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:17.990
First, I got my degree in computer science.
122
00:06:18.709 --> 00:06:20.389
And so with AI being a big.
123
00:06:20.269 --> 00:06:23.089
Issue now, having someone who understands AI, at least how
124
00:06:23.110 --> 00:06:26.610
it works, is important. And then, you know, as I said,
125
00:06:26.649 --> 00:06:30.029
the last 17 years, I've spent that time helping individuals
126
00:06:30.089 --> 00:06:33.810
and family prepare for their future and make very important financial.
127
00:06:33.420 --> 00:06:34.660
Decisions for their family.
128
00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.180
I think if we look at that with affordability being
129
00:06:38.199 --> 00:06:40.240
an issue, having someone who does this for.
130
00:06:40.100 --> 00:06:43.319
A living and has the expertise needed to.
131
00:06:43.240 --> 00:06:45.980
Navigate this, to be able to make Florida more affordable,
132
00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:48.699
not just as a talking slogan, but actually be able
133
00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:51.399
to provide value and really do something.
134
00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:53.100
I think this really is a.
135
00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:56.430
Benefit add to our community and to this district. And
136
00:06:56.449 --> 00:07:00.129
I'm looking forward to, uh, if the people decide to
137
00:07:00.170 --> 00:07:01.790
send me to Tallahassee to be able to use those
138
00:07:01.810 --> 00:07:02.870
skills to make things better.
139
00:07:03.670 --> 00:07:06.810
Amendment three is a, it's a big issue. Um, we
140
00:07:06.829 --> 00:07:08.670
could call it the elephant in the room across the
141
00:07:08.709 --> 00:07:13.689
state and, and, and throughout the election. Um, season. I
142
00:07:13.730 --> 00:07:18.339
know that you have talked about being a strong advocate
143
00:07:18.379 --> 00:07:22.060
for the complete elimination of property taxes. Obviously, that's not
144
00:07:22.100 --> 00:07:24.680
even on the table with Amendment 3, although ultimately it
145
00:07:24.740 -->
00:07:28.139
could lead to that. But the first $ 150 and then
146
00:07:28.139 --> 00:07:33.199
$ 250 increase of the homestead exemption. Your opponent, we talked
147
00:07:33.259 --> 00:07:36.959
about Amendment 3, and she said it's a tax shift
148
00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:40.139
rather than a tax cut worries about reduction in funding
149
00:07:40.199 --> 00:07:44.000
for public safety, other essential services, talks about no fiscal
150
00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:47.959
impact study being done, calling that atypical and saying it
151
00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:51.329
was an irresponsible proposal. Those are her words and would
152
00:07:51.370 --> 00:07:55.550
have a catastrophic impact on our municipalities and our economy.
153
00:07:56.589 --> 00:07:59.240
I'm guessing you feel different. So share your thoughts.
154
00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:02.399
Well, let me start with this.
155
00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:05.120
I'm a Floridian, born and raised, Joel.
156
00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:07.920
And so oftentimes when people move to our state and
157
00:08:07.939 --> 00:08:08.779
they run for office.
158
00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:11.019
They don't have any sense of the history of the
159
00:08:11.060 --> 00:08:17.310
state of Florida. And so let me just quickly, 30.
160
00:08:15.689 --> 00:08:18.889
Seconds, give you a quick rundown. In 1980, well, let's
161
00:08:18.910 --> 00:08:22.509
say 1934, voters approved the first homestead property exemption. In 1980,
162
00:08:22.509 --> 00:08:30.500
they raised that exemption from $ 5, 000 to $ 25, 000.
163
00:08:26.860 --> 00:08:28.779
In 1992, we did Save Our Homes.
164
00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:32.159
Now, with all this being said, you still need 60
165
00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:33.139
percent vote.
166
00:08:33.100 --> 00:08:35.799
In order for this to pass. So every single time
167
00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:36.419
this was on.
168
00:08:36.330 --> 00:08:41.429
The ballot, it got 60 percent to vote, and it passed. 2008,
169
00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:44.570
Amendment 1, it approved in January. It moved the portability
170
00:08:44.590 --> 00:08:48.419
for Save Our Homes. 2020, they extended from two years
171
00:08:49.399 --> 00:08:53.230
to three years. And then 2024, they raised it again
172
00:08:53.490 --> 00:08:55.710
with inflation to $.
173
00:08:55.149 --> 00:08:55.710
50, 000.
174
00:08:55.429 --> 00:08:58.509
So now in 2026, we're looking at this saying, all right,
175
00:08:58.720 --> 00:08:59.389
we're taking this.
176
00:08:59.289 --> 00:09:01.320
From $ 150, 000.
177
00:09:00.059 --> 00:09:04.960
To $ 250, 000.
178
00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:04.440
All I'm telling you is this, that over the years
179
00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:06.759
in the history of Florida, when this has been approved,
180
00:09:06.860 --> 00:09:10.490
the world didn't come crashing down. The economy didn't collapse.
181
00:09:11.269 --> 00:09:15.070
Everything that she's saying is irresponsible because the history says, well,
182
00:09:15.090 --> 00:09:19.919
all those things didn't occur over the last decade. Six
183
00:09:20.019 --> 00:09:22.340
times this has been on the amendment over the course
184
00:09:22.379 --> 00:09:23.960
of this history of the state of Florida.
185
00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:26.179
So here's what's really a fact.
186
00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:30.460
Palm Beach County saw its budget expand by 58% in 2019,
187
00:09:30.460 --> 00:09:34.980
and mostly due to increased property tax revenue. They got
188
00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:38.070
a windfall of money because of rising property tax values.
189
00:09:38.330 --> 00:09:43.769
And over this period, the county's population only increased by 6%.
190
00:09:43.769 --> 00:09:46.070
I don't know about you, Joe, but my revenue in
191
00:09:46.129 --> 00:09:49.980
my business hasn't gone up by 58%. But, you know,
192
00:09:50.019 --> 00:09:52.740
that's just for that. But over that same time frame.
193
00:09:52.899 --> 00:09:55.230
We do have to, in fact, in.
194
00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:58.960
Inflation, increase costs by 31%. So there will be some
195
00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:04.519
increased spending by governments that's warranted. But this particularly impacts
196
00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:10.379
retirees on fixed income, whom nobody's talking about. Lower-to-middle-income homeowners,
197
00:10:10.679 --> 00:10:12.350
whom trying to buy a home for the first time,
198
00:10:12.409 --> 00:10:14.970
have been stressed to begin with. But now, with inflation
199
00:10:15.029 --> 00:10:18.710
pushing higher prices across the board, rising tax for particular
200
00:10:18.730 --> 00:10:25.879
board members, Ultimately, voters must decide if reducing taxes on
201
00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:29.740
homeowners is more important than funding some local government. And
202
00:10:29.779 --> 00:10:33.320
I'm not talking about essential services like police and fire.
203
00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:35.679
We have to take care of our guys and protect
204
00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:38.379
us and keep our streets safe.
205
00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:40.600
And we need them, and we will fund them.
206
00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:44.720
But November's result will tell us whether the evidence for
207
00:10:44.759 --> 00:10:47.120
rooting has been pinched tightly enough to ask the local
208
00:10:47.159 --> 00:10:49.000
government to tighten them down just a little bit.
209
00:10:50.990 --> 00:10:54.690
And property tax reform, obviously one of the big issues.
210
00:10:55.090 --> 00:10:58.190
If this doesn't get done, then I guess we'll see
211
00:10:58.230 --> 00:11:01.110
where we go from there if voters don't approve that.
212
00:11:02.009 --> 00:11:07.429
Property insurance, another issue. Any specific bills in your head
213
00:11:07.490 --> 00:11:11.399
that you might want to write or help write or
214
00:11:11.419 --> 00:11:15.279
at least support should you get into the statehouse?
215
00:11:17.379 --> 00:11:20.590
Well, as it relates to property insurance or property
tax
216
00:11:20.649 --> 00:11:21.529
or just me in general?
217
00:11:21.590 --> 00:11:24.649
Anything to help the consumer, whether it be the property taxes,
218
00:11:24.690 --> 00:11:27.750
the property insurance, anything else to help. You know, people
219
00:11:27.769 --> 00:11:29.629
are having affordability issues right now.
220
00:11:31.610 --> 00:11:33.750
Yeah, and let me speak to the property insurance is
221
00:11:33.789 --> 00:11:38.529
very important. And holding insurance companies accountable to bring their
222
00:11:38.549 --> 00:11:39.809
rates down is something.
223
00:11:39.549 --> 00:11:43.100
That, you know, I will be committed to doing. But
224
00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:45.700
beyond that, the more.
225
00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:50.309
Competition drives prices down, meaning citizens was our main insurer,
226
00:11:50.669 --> 00:11:53.710
the government, basically. Now that we've got businesses stepping into
227
00:11:53.750 --> 00:11:57.559
the arena, we've got 21 new insurers in Florida, we're
228
00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:00.639
expecting for that to drive rates down because there's competition now.
229
00:12:01.570 --> 00:12:04.289
And now competition, when they're competing for our business, for
230
00:12:04.710 --> 00:12:07.289
our insurance premiums, for our homes, they're going to have
231
00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:10.860
to compete against 21 other companies. So that means prices
232
00:12:10.899 --> 00:12:11.600
should come down.
233
00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:13.539
But I'm going to continue to work to make sure.
234
00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:15.779
That is the case, to drive bills down.
235
00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:18.620
And I believe Peggy Gossett-Salmon has some bills that we've
236
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:21.480
been talking about in that space as well.
237
00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:23.539
So I'm excited to get the opportunity to work on that.
238
00:12:23.580 --> 00:12:26.940
And then lastly, as it relates to education, I believe
239
00:12:27.019 --> 00:12:30.360
that our graduating seniors should be able to pass the
240
00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:33.220
immigration test that we make all new citizens who want
241
00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.899
to come to our country legally taken pass. So I
242
00:12:35.940 --> 00:12:39.830
believe getting civics back into school is civics with a purpose.
243
00:12:40.629 --> 00:12:42.649
And that means that you're going to be taking civics
244
00:12:42.690 --> 00:12:44.809
in order to, when you're a senior going to graduate
245
00:12:44.830 --> 00:12:47.509
high school, to be able to pass the immigration test
246
00:12:47.529 --> 00:12:49.809
that we make new citizens.
247
00:12:49.470 --> 00:12:50.389
Through our country pass.
248
00:12:50.409 --> 00:12:51.960
And so that's something that I'm.
249
00:12:51.899 --> 00:12:54.379
Pretty excited about that no one's really doing that.
250
00:12:54.299 --> 00:12:56.659
I think will help our students really regain a value
251
00:12:56.679 --> 00:12:59.039
for this country and begin to love and work hard
252
00:12:59.139 --> 00:13:01.840
again for their families and that American dream stays alive.
253
00:13:02.120 --> 00:13:03.519
That's what I was going to ask you. What's your
254
00:13:03.559 --> 00:13:08.289
main motivation for that immigration test for people who are
255
00:13:08.309 --> 00:13:09.129
already citizens?
256
00:13:10.429 --> 00:13:15.750
Well, first off, I think it's irresponsible for our kids
257
00:13:15.789 --> 00:13:19.279
to graduate and not know anything about our country and
258
00:13:19.299 --> 00:13:21.879
not be able to pass the very immigration test that.
259
00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.139
Other people who come here who want.
260
00:13:24.059 --> 00:13:25.080
To be here have to pass.
261
00:13:25.139 --> 00:13:29.960
Number two, I think it reminds us of what was
262
00:13:30.059 --> 00:13:32.840
paid in order for us to be free, start our company,
263
00:13:33.539 --> 00:13:36.220
have our families, raise our families here and live here
264
00:13:36.259 --> 00:13:39.389
and enjoy this country, it costs something. And so our
265
00:13:39.429 --> 00:13:41.529
kids should understand that. And that means they're going to
266
00:13:41.549 --> 00:13:43.909
work hard for their families because they know that the
267
00:13:43.970 --> 00:13:44.990
opportunity that they.
268
00:13:45.090 --> 00:13:45.889
Have is a blessing.
269
00:13:46.659 --> 00:13:48.100
And so we want to get back to some of
270
00:13:48.139 --> 00:13:51.990
those basic, fundamental, common-sense things where our kids understand the
271
00:13:52.070 --> 00:13:55.629
value of working hard, believing in this country, loving this country,
272
00:13:55.950 --> 00:13:58.909
and taking care of their families, and just basic common-sense stuff.
273
00:13:58.929 --> 00:14:00.850
We're going to teach them how to read, write, and civics.
274
00:14:01.289 --> 00:14:02.070
We're not going to teach.
275
00:14:01.929 --> 00:14:04.129
Them about boys' and girls' bathrooms or any of the
276
00:14:04.169 --> 00:14:06.129
weird stuff that's happening on the left. We're going to
277
00:14:06.169 --> 00:14:08.289
keep it very basic, very simple, and we're going to
278
00:14:08.309 --> 00:14:11.570
get back to the basics for this country.
279
00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:17.259
Two candidates in this race, Statehouse District 87, the incumbent Democrat,
280
00:14:17.350 --> 00:14:20.710
Emily Gregory, and the gentleman we're talking to now, Republican
281
00:14:20.730 --> 00:14:24.029
John Maples. In a nutshell, to wrap up this interview, John,
282
00:14:24.549 --> 00:14:27.580
why ultimately should folks give you a shot, put you
283
00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:28.279
in the Statehouse?
284
00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:32.159
Yeah. Well, first of all, thank you for the opportunity
285
00:14:32.179 --> 00:14:37.029
to be here today. Decisions that we're making today, Joel,
286
00:14:37.289 --> 00:14:40.929
shape what tomorrow looks like for our kids, our grandkids.
287
00:14:40.970 --> 00:14:42.830
You and I will be just fine, but we're fighting
288
00:14:42.870 --> 00:14:44.990
for them. And I want you to know that I'm
289
00:14:45.049 --> 00:14:47.470
here to the folks in District 87.
290
00:14:47.470 --> 00:14:48.070
I'm listening.
291
00:14:48.210 --> 00:14:48.950
You can trust me.
292
00:14:50.029 --> 00:14:50.950
My name is John Maples.
293
00:14:50.990 --> 00:14:52.549
I'm a Republican candidate.
294
00:14:52.129 --> 00:14:55.070
For Florida District House 87, and I would appreciate your
295
00:14:55.409 --> 00:14:57.049
support on and before November 3rd.
296
00:14:57.250 --> 00:14:57.889
Thank you, guys.
297
00:14:59.629 --> 00:15:01.879
All right, John. Appreciate you talking to the voters in
298
00:15:01.889 --> 00:15:07.240
District 87. Again, John Maples. Republican candidates here on WJNO.com.