Sen. 28, Rep. 81, Rep. 82, Hut!

Candidates for the 2026 Florida state senate and house of representatives’ elections were the featured speakers at the May 19 meeting of the Democratic Women’s Club of Marco (DWCMarco) held at the Mackle Park Community Center. Over 40 people attended to hear David Silverberg (Candidate for Florida Senate District 28), Kim Finer (Candidate for Florida House of Representatives District 81), and Arthur Boyer (Candidate for Florida House of Representatives District 82) speak about their candidacies.

David Silverberg (Florida Senate District 28)

Mr. Silverberg, a former journalist, told the group that he is tired of the “endless series of outrages, impositions, and unacceptable actions that [are being taken] not only at the federal level but [have] been echoed at the state level.”

District 28, which he hopes to represent, includes “Alligator Alcatraz”, officially known as the Everglades Detention Center. Its existence is one of the reasons Mr. Silverberg decided to run for office. As someone whose great-grandparents were murdered by the Nazis during World War II, Mr. Silverberg “knows a concentration camp when I see one” and says that Alligator Alcatraz is definitely a concentration camp.

Mr. Silverberg is committed to seeing the camp closed. If it is closed by the time he is elected, he intends to examine the $608 million (Florida taxpayer-funded) contract that went into building the detention center. Although a $58 million reimbursement is supposedly making its way to Florida from the federal government, there is no guarantee that the remainder will also be reimbursed to Florida from the federal government.

Mr. Silverberg views his opponent in this race as “Big Tallahassee” – those in power in Florida government who take us to the “rim of reason” on issues, attacking teachers, public schools, the cost of living, and climate change, to name a few. He wants to stop doing harm to Florida - its people, its environment, and its cost of living, to name a few.

Kim Finer (Florida House of Representatives District 81)

Kim Finer holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and is a retired professor of biological sciences. She is running for office, she says, “for you - to voice your concerns… to make things better for you on a day-to-day basis.”

Three principles underpin Dr. Finer’s campaign: affordability, accountability, and accessibility.

Affordability issues include the price and availability of housing, the cost of homeowner’s and healthcare insurance, and the daily cost of living, among other things.

The expansion of the school voucher program in the state of Florida is an example of Dr. Finer’s concerns with accountability. In the first year of the program, according to the Auditor General, the program is over budget by $398 million, $270 million is unaccounted for, and a large number of students are also unaccounted for. The Florida House of Representatives has thus far done nothing on this issue.

Accessibility, according to Dr. Finer, includes:

• Healthcare. This includes the ability of individuals to make healthcare decisions directly with their physicians and access any procedure, protocol, or medication indicated.
• Voting. Florida has now made voter registration and verification more difficult, possibly driving away legitimate voters from the polls.
• Books. Her opponent was involved in making certain books unavailable to children in their schools, which Dr. Finer finds unacceptable.

Arthur Boyer (Florida House of Representatives District 82)

Arthur Boyer holds a Doctor of Education degree and has been a professor for over 20 years. He is the son of the late Reverend Pastor Emmanuel Boyer, who ministered to his flock for over 50 years. Dr. Boyer learned from his father that community matters and that public and government service are very important.

Dr. Boyer believes government’s roles include seeking, defending, and serving the greater good of the community, values he intends to bring as a representative to Tallahassee. He also intends to work closely with Dr. Finer in District 81 and other representatives because the success or failure of these districts will also affect District 82. He believes that now it is especially important for us to say no to waste and division and to work together.

His campaign is focused on three issues:

• Affordability – lowering the cost of daily living
• Better leadership for educators – Improving our schools and paying teachers appropriately while making them feel appreciated
• Support for the environment – especially ensuring that we have clean water and care appropriately for the Everglades.

Dr. Boyer is ready to partner with anyone and everyone who is interested in the greater good of District 82.

Become An Activist!

For those who want to know how to become active in supporting their candidates or party within their community, DWCMarco member Chris Chase set out a simple process:

• Identify your “community” - like-minded people within your social network, neighborhood, clubs you belong to, etc.
• Develop a list incorporating your community’s chosen communication method(s).
• Provide factual, pertinent information to that community who will now know that there are other like-minded people in their presence.
• Relish the fact that you are providing a service and making a difference in your community.

For more information on how you can become an activist in your community, email us at info@dwcmarco.org.

DWCMarco – Join Us!

The Democratic Women’s Club of Marco Island is a force for good, proving that when neighbors unite with a shared purpose, lasting change is possible. We welcome women and men from Marco Island, Naples, and the surrounding areas.

In addition to other social efforts, each month our meeting attendees donate a variety of foods requested by Our Daily Bread Food Pantry. At the May meeting, our members and guests donated over 150 lbs. of much needed and requested food products to help fight food insecurity across the community.