With Incumbent Joe Gruters reaching his term limit, Florida's Senate District 22 seat is up for grabs this election cycle. The district, which covers all of Sarasota County and parts of Manatee, has three men vying.
The candidates are Republican James Buchanan, who's represented Florida House District 74 since 2018, Democrat Lew Wasserman, attorney and member of the Manatee County Democratic Executive Committee and non-party affiliated Martin Hyde, former state house and Sarasota City Commission candidate.
Senate District 22 is characterized by its coastal position, thriving arts community and affordability, which Wasserman and Hyde agree is an issue.
"About half the community is overwhelmed by the cost of property insurance," Wasserman said. "We have many people that can't afford to go to the doctor."
A state law both candidates believe hurts affordability is Senate Bill 180. Passed in 2025, it was marketed as a way to speed up post-hurricane recovery. Hyde maintains it serves the interests of developers through its clauses that prohibit municipalities from adopting regulations that are considered "more restrictive or burdensome" to development.
"The idea was that people could rebuild their homes without the bureaucracy of local government, but hidden and buried in it were things that made it a lot easier for developers to do things that they wouldn't otherwise be able to do. Local control or home rule was taken away," Hyde said.
Buchanan, who did not respond to eight separate attempts to schedule an interview, voted in support of SB 180 when it initially passed through the Senate.
One of the most watched ballot items is Amendment 3, which aims to raise the homestead property tax exemption, decreasing tax burdens on property owners. Supporters like Hyde and Buchanan believe it's helpful for home and business owners to save money, but opponents like Wasserman worry the decrease in tax revenue will devastate municipality budgets.
"The bill never accounted for how we would replace the monies that it takes away in terms of funding local services, whether it be roads, infrastructure and even schools," Wasserman said.
Buchanan expressed support for Amendment 3 during a September speaking engagement at the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club.
Hyde has a history of controversy. In Feb. 2022, a bodycam video surfaced of a verbal scuffle he had with a female police officer during a traffic stop. Later that year, he expressed he would have killed the FBI agents who raided President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home and in 2019, he engaged in a racially charged argument with two Puerto Rican tennis players at the Bath & Racquet Club in Sarasota.
When asked to comment on the incidents, Hyde said, "Why would anyone focus on the issues when they have years old negative comments to make? 🤔 Trawling the Internet for stories isn’t really journalism but if it floats your boat by all means have at it. There’s nothing to say that hasn’t already been said. I’ve owned my mistakes in a way few do. The interesting thing is that most people have been generous enough to recognize that people make mistakes and they grow from them. When you’re a little older you’ll understand that."
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