Who is running for Florida House, District 81 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Florida House, District 81 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Florida House District 81.
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 | Yvette BenarrochRepublican | Kim FinerDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · low | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Questionnaire answer · low |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightVoted · medium | No public position |
| Curriculum and books | No public position | Teachers and librarians, as trained professionalsQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Election rules | Photo ID required, with current access otherwiseSaid · low | Easier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyoneQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Gender care for minors | No, ban these treatments for minorsOfficial action · medium | No public position |
| Redistricting | State legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantageVoted · medium | No public position |
| DEI programs | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsVoted · medium | Keep them and let each school or agency decideSaid · medium |
Yvette Benarroch
Republican · IncumbentFlorida State Representative, District 81
Yvette Benarroch was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, served in the U.S. Air Force from 1990 to 1992, and co-owns a landscaping business in the Naples and Marco Island area123. She was elected to the Florida House in 2024 and previously led the Collier County chapter of Moms for Liberty and served as vice chair of the Collier County Republican Party32.
Where they stand 7 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium
Voted · medium 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
- Co-sponsored 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. (2026) source
- Her campaign issues page says she is 100% pro-Second Amendment. (2026) 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
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Official action · medium confidence- Co-introduced HB 743 (2026), which adds enforcement, including state civil actions, against people who help provide banned gender transition treatment to minors; it died on the House calendar. (2026) source
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 1134 (2026), which bars counties and cities from funding or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion or taking official action on it; it passed the House 77 to 37. (2026-03-10) source
- Co-introduced HB 1001 (2026), the House bill barring counties and cities from funding or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion or taking official action on it; its Senate companion, SB 1134, became law. (2026) source
Election rulesPhoto ID required, with current access otherwiselow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign issues page says she supports mandatory voter ID and making all election crimes a felony in Florida. (2026) source
- Voted yes on HB 991 (2026), which requires election officials to verify that registered voters are U.S. citizens and to record the proof used; it passed the House 83 to 31. (2026-02-25) source
- Co-introduced HB 991 (2026), the elections bill requiring citizenship verification of registered voters. (2026) source
- In the VOTE411 guide she wrote that only eligible U.S. citizens should vote and that she supported and co-introduced this session's legislation strengthening citizenship verification and safeguards in Florida's elections. (2026) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Said · low confidenceImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- In her 2024 Ballotpedia survey she said she would work to empower men and women in uniform to enforce immigration laws and stop the flow of illegal drugs. (2024) 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
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, 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, Religion in schools, China policy.
Kim Finer
DemocratPrivate citizen (former professor)
Kim Finer is a former professor of biological sciences at Kent State University (Ph.D. in veterinary microbiology, Texas A&M) who lives in Naples and is running for Florida House District 811. Her site lists homeowners insurance costs, school vouchers, local government control, coastal development and public health among its issues, under the themes affordability, accountability and accessibility1.
Where they stand 4 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Election rulesEasier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyonemedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In her 2026 Ballotpedia survey she listed strengthening access to the ballot box: promote mail-in voting, simplify voter registration, expand early voting and make Election Day a state holiday. (2026) source
- In the VOTE411 guide she called a proof-of-citizenship rule for registration an unsupported problem and an assault on women's voting rights. (2026) source
- Her Bad Bills Board criticizes the 2026 elections law (HB 991) and says elections should be secure and equally accessible. (2026) source
Curriculum and booksTeachers and librarians, as trained professionalsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In her 2026 Ballotpedia survey she wrote: "Let them read: abolish book bans (process and action) and let trained educators determine curriculum, while parents determine access for their own children." (2026) source
DEI programsKeep them and let each school or agency decidemedium
Said · medium confidence- Her Bad Bills Board opposes the 2026 law banning local government diversity, equity and inclusion activities (HB 1001 / SB 1134), says to empower local action rather than restrict it, and says to repeal the law. (2026) source
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)low
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- In the VOTE411 guide she wrote that medical procedures should be decided solely by a patient and her physician, free from interference by legislators, and that pregnancy termination "cannot be addressed with legislation." (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, School choice, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, 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, Religion in schools, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-07. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.