Florida general election: November 3, 2026
Who is running for Florida House, District 65 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Florida House, District 65 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Florida House District 65.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Ben BraverDemocrat | Karen Gonzalez PittmanRepublican |
|---|---|---|
| Business regulation | Stronger rules on big corporations, banks and tech companiesSaid · medium | No public position |
| Healthcare | Add a government plan anyone can buy into (a public option)Said · medium | Private insurance with more competition and price transparency, keeping protections for pre-existing conditionsQuestionnaire answer · low |
| Abortion | No public position | Legal in early pregnancy, restricted after thatSaid · high |
| Guns | No public position | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightSaid · medium |
| Immigration | No single answer fits; see evidence | Deport everyone here illegally, as quickly as possibleSaid · medium |
| Energy and climate | No single answer fits; see evidence | Maximize oil and gas; climate rules hurt the economyQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| School choice | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsSaid · medium | Yes, universal school choice for every familySaid · high |
| Curriculum and books | No public position | Parents, including the right to remove material they object toVoted · medium |
| Election rules | No public position | Photo ID required, with current access otherwiseQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Gender care for minors | No public position | No, ban these treatments for minorsVoted · medium |
| Redistricting | No public position | State legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantageVoted · medium |
| Death penalty | No public position | Expand it and use it more often, including for crimes like child rapeVoted · medium |
| Qualified immunity | No public position | Yes, keep it as courts apply it nowQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| DEI programs | No public position | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsVoted · medium |
| China policy | No public position | Get tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesVoted · medium |
Ben Braver
DemocratScience teacher
Ben Braver is a Hillsborough County science teacher and teachers union member who graduated from King High School and, in 2023, from the University of South Florida with a degree in economics1. He lost the 2024 race for Florida Senate District 23 to Daniel Burgess with 37.7 percent and is the Democratic nominee for House District 65 against incumbent Karen Gonzalez Pittman12.
Where they stand 6 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Said · medium confidence- In a 2024 survey said Florida should end privatization, writing that the Legislature is selling kids' futures to the lowest bidder. (2024) source
- In a 2026 survey said he is focused on what he called a criminally mismanaged and underfunded education system and would raise teacher pay to the national average. (2026) source
HealthcareAdd a government plan anyone can buy into (a public option)medium
Said · medium confidence- Said he will fully fund and expand public health and home insurance options to cover residents being priced out of Florida. (2026) source
Business regulationStronger rules on big corporations, banks and tech companiesmedium
Said · medium confidence- Said the economy is unaffordable because monopolies and big business have taken over free markets, and proposed capping the number of homes private equity firms can buy and making insurance and energy regulators elected. (2026) source
- In 2024 said antitrust policies are the best way to keep the housing market free of domination by big business. (2024) source
Paid leaveNo single answer fitslow
Said · low confidence- Listed paid family leave among the policies he is for. (2026) source
Energy and climateNo single answer fitslow
Said · low confidence- Listed solar energy among the policies he is for and utility rate hikes among those he is against. (2026) source
ImmigrationNo single answer fitslow
Said · low confidence- Listed ICE raids among the things he is against. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Abortion, Guns, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy, Marijuana.
Karen Gonzalez Pittman
Republican · IncumbentFlorida State Representative, District 65
Karen Gonzalez Pittman is a Tampa native and former public school teacher with bachelor's and master's degrees in education from the University of South Florida who works as vice president of public affairs for Vein911 vein treatment centers, where her husband is medical director12. Elected to the Florida House in 2022, she won re-election in 2024 with 57.2 percent and faces Democrat Ben Braver on November 3, 202614.
Where they stand 17 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
AbortionLegal in early pregnancy, restricted after thathigh
Said · high confidence- Asked when abortion should be allowed, wrote that she supports the current Florida law, supported by Governor DeSantis, which limits abortion to the first 15 weeks. (2022) source
- Voted no on SB 300 (2023), which banned most abortions after six weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and trafficking up to 15 weeks and for the mother's life or serious health risk; it passed the House 70 to 40. (2023-04-13) source
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familyhigh
Said · high confidence- Strongly agreed that she supports school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools and home schools. (2022) source
- Voted yes on HB 1 (2023), which made every Florida K-12 student eligible for a state scholarship that can pay for private school or home education; it passed the House 83 to 27. (2023-03-17) source
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium
Said · medium confidence- Asked what restrictions on gun ownership are needed, wrote that the Constitution guarantees the right of gun ownership for citizens and that it should not be infringed. (2022) source
- Voted yes on HB 543 (2023), which allows carrying a concealed weapon without a permit; it passed the House 76 to 32. (2023-03-24) source
- Voted yes on HB 759 (2025), which would have lowered the minimum age to buy a rifle or shotgun from 21 to 18; it died in the Senate; it passed the House 78 to 34. (2025-03-26) source
- Voted yes on HB 133 (2026), which would have lowered the minimum age to buy a rifle or shotgun from 21 to 18; it died in the Senate; it passed the House 74 to 37. (2026-01-15) source
ImmigrationDeport everyone here illegally, as quickly as possiblemedium
Said · medium confidence- Wrote that anyone who wants to come to the United States legally should be able to apply and go through a stringent review process, and that lawbreakers who have violated immigration laws should be sent back to the countries they came from and have to apply. (2022) source
- Voted yes on SB 1718 (2023), which required private employers with 25 or more workers to use E-Verify, created penalties for transporting people who entered the country illegally, and voided out of state driver licenses issued to people without legal status; it passed the House 83 to 36. (2023-05-02) source
- Voted yes on SB 2-C (2025), which created a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, funded local cooperation with federal immigration agents and required local law enforcement to take part; it passed the House 85 to 30. (2025-02-13) source
- Voted yes on SB 4-C (2025), which created state crimes for entering Florida after entering the country illegally and required those charged to be held without bond; it passed the House 85 to 29. (2025-02-13) source
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 266 (2023), which barred public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs; it passed the House 81 to 34. (2023-05-03) source
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 254 (2023), which banned puberty blockers, hormones and surgery for minors as treatment for gender dysphoria; it passed the House 83 to 28. (2023-05-04) source
Election rulesPhoto ID required, with current access otherwisemedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Strongly disagreed that people should be able to vote without photo identification, and wrote that she wanted to see how recently passed election laws affected the 2022 election before proposing changes. (2022) source
Qualified immunityYes, keep it as courts apply it nowmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Strongly agreed that police officers should be immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy while on duty, described in the question as qualified immunity. (2022) source
Energy and climateMaximize oil and gas; climate rules hurt the economymedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Chose the answer that stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy, and agreed with using hydraulic fracturing to extract oil and gas. (2022) source
- Voted yes on HB 1645 (2024), a broad energy bill that removed most references to climate change from state law, banned offshore wind turbines, eased natural gas pipeline rules and ordered a study of advanced nuclear technology; it passed the House 81 to 29. (2024-03-07) source
Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tomedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 1069 (2023), which extended limits on instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity through eighth grade and expanded the process for parents to object to school library books; it passed the House 77 to 35. (2023-03-31) source
Death penaltyExpand it and use it more often, including for crimes like child rapemedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 1297 (2023), which allows the death penalty for sexual battery of a child under 12; it passed the House 95 to 14. (2023-04-13) source
- Voted yes on SB 450 (2023), which allows a death sentence when at least 8 of 12 jurors recommend it instead of requiring a unanimous jury; it passed the House 80 to 30. (2023-04-13) source
China policyGet tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 264 (2023), which restricts people and companies from China and several other countries from buying land in Florida, with the strictest limits on China; it passed the House 95 to 17. (2023-05-04) source
RedistrictingState legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantagemedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 1-D (2026), which redrew Florida's congressional districts in the middle of the decade at the governor's request; it passed the House 83 to 28. (2026-04-29) source
HealthcarePrivate insurance with more competition and price transparency, keeping protections for pre-existing conditionslow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- Chose the answer that Medicaid and Medicare should remain available but no other taxpayer funded health programs are necessary. (2022) source
Policing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Strongly disagreed with redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs, and wrote that mental health programs should be funded without taking money from police. (2022) source
E-Verify mandateNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted yes on SB 1718 (2023), which required private employers with 25 or more workers to use E-Verify, created penalties for transporting people who entered the country illegally, and voided out of state driver licenses issued to people without legal status; it passed the House 83 to 36. (2023-05-02) source
Religion in schoolsNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted yes on HB 931 (2024), which lets school districts choose to allow volunteer chaplains in schools; it passed the House 89 to 25. (2024-02-22) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Housing and growth, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Transgender athletes.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.