State House District 73 covers coastal Sarasota County, including southern Longboat Key, Siesta Key, and Venice.

Democrat Lisa Klein is challenging incumbent Republican Fiona McFarland for the seat there. Klein is a former public school teacher who wants to see changes in education.

“As far as legislation goes, I think that vouchers need income caps reinstated,” Klein said.

Another of Klein’s priorities is cutting costs and making things more affordable for constituents.

“I'm a licensed mental health counselor now. And so I spend every week speaking with members of our community and really across Florida, but in our district primarily and across Florida that are really suffering, even though they're doing everything right. And a lot of that is related to bad policies,” said Klein.

Republican incumbent Fiona McFarland has held the office since November 2020. McFarland did not respond to repeated requests for comment from WGCU. According to her website, her priorities are protecting water quality and environment, strengthening the local economy and supporting Florida families.

Election day is November 4.

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