Ocean Fitts, a Palmetto resident, is the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 71 in the November general election.

His campaign biography says he was born in Dunedin and raised in St. Petersburg. He attended Rollins College before pausing his studies during the pandemic to help care for his great-grandmother, an experience he connects to the importance of reliable public services.

Affordability and storm preparation anchor his platform. Fitts calls for stronger oversight of property insurance, home-hardening assistance and flood-resilience investments. He supports making new development contribute to the roads, drainage, schools and utilities needed to serve it.

His campaign also favors infill and redevelopment where infrastructure already exists, broader transportation options and more local control over land-use decisions.

On education, Fitts supports well-funded traditional public schools, qualified teachers, counselors and manageable class sizes. He opposes expanding private-school vouchers with public money and calls for accountability for charter schools.

The Florida Division of Elections lists Fitts as qualified. His general-election opponents are Republican Jordan Varnadore and no-party-affiliation candidate Joseph Hoolihan. The policy positions described here are attributed to his campaign materials.

Sources: Ocean Fitts campaign biography (https://www.oceanforflorida.com/about); campaign platform (https://www.oceanforflorida.com/issues); Florida Division of Elections candidate list (https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/CanList.asp?CountyCode=MAN&elecid=20261103-GEN).