Who is running for Florida House, District 72 in 2026?

Attorney and certified public accountant

Harvey Shifrin is an attorney and certified public accountant who says he has spent 27 years working with elementary and middle school students in the Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination problem solving programs¹. He is the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 72 and faces Republican incumbent Bill Conerly on November 3, 2026². His campaign lists strengthening public schools, preserving local home rule and reforming the voucher funding system as his focus areas¹³.

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, 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, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.

Florida State Representative, District 72

Bill Conerly is the Republican incumbent for Florida House District 72 in Manatee County. A fifth generation Floridian and engineer, he served in the U.S. Navy for nearly six years, is an owner and vice president of the engineering firm Kimley-Horn and Associates, and has served in the House since 2024²¹¹. He faces Democrat Harvey Shifrin on November 3, 2026³.

Where they stand 6 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• E-Verify mandateRequire it for all employershigh

  Said · high confidence

  • His campaign site says he expanded E-Verify to all Florida employers. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on HB 197 (2026), which would have required all private employers, not only those with 25 or more workers, to use E-Verify; it passed the House 80 to 30 and died in the Senate. (2026-01-15) 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
• Housing and growthLet the market build what is needed, with local reviewmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • In a 2024 Ballotpedia survey he said the answer to housing costs is not government spending but private businesses and industry, by removing burdensome governmental hurdles. (2024) source
• ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadylow

  Said · low confidence

  • His campaign site says giving local law enforcement the means to deport illegal aliens and cutting off funding for taxpayer programs that benefit them are among his top priorities. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 2-C (2025), which created a State Board of Immigration Enforcement and required local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration agents; 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
• GunsNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • 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
• Nuclear powerNo single answer fitslow

  Official action · low confidence

  • Cosponsored CS/CS/HB 1461 (2026), which would have authorized the Public Service Commission to regulate advanced nuclear reactors in Florida; it passed the House 108 to 0 and died in the Senate Rules committee. (2026-03-05) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.