Republican Kim Kendall is seeking election to the District 18 state representative seat currently held by Rep. Cyndi Stevenson, who is term-limited, having served continuously since first being elected in April 2015.
Kendall will face challenger Nick Primrose in the Aug. 20 primary election.
A politically conservative candidate, Kendall and her family have lived in St. Johns County since 2001. She has a long history of advocating for causes on both the local and state levels.
“I’ve actually written legislation and lobbied bills,” she said. “I chaired a statewide literacy initiative that involved 150 elementary schools.”
In addition, she was appointed to two statewide education task forces and served as chair of education for the Florida Federation of Women.
Now retired, Kendall has worked as an FAA air traffic controller and, with her husband, owned two dry cleaning businesses in Jacksonville.
She was instrumental in co-founding the Saint Johns Middle School Athletic Association in 2010, supported the establishment of Liberty Pines Academy and advocated for a solution to dangerous pedestrian conditions at State Road 9B and County Road 2209 where students were walking in close proximity to fast-moving traffic while on their way to and from school.
Kendall filed to run on March 1, 2023, and has received 115 endorsements as of press time.
She identified growth as one of her top priorities, citing the 56,000 additional homes approved for St. Johns County. She wants to pursue FDOT funding for roads, freeing up more money for the county to spend elsewhere as needed.
Another priority is education and providing more vocational classes to promote expansion of the trades, such as plumbing and electrical work.
She backs parental rights, and in response to social issues that have arisen in various places, said, “Boys shouldn’t play girls’ sports; boys shouldn’t use girls’ bathrooms; and there shouldn’t be pornography on the media shelf.”
Mindful of Florida’s place in space exploration, Kendall supports the development of horizontal rocket launches and manufacturing of satellites in the Sunshine State.
Asked why voters should elect her, Kendall pointed out her connection to the community.
“I have a proven track record here in St. Johns County for over 20 years,” she said. “I have full time to do this job, and I have the heart, the work ethic to do it. Even though I’ve done a lot of work at the state level, I think it’s more important that the majority of my energy and effort in changing our community has been here locally. We have 120 legislators in the House of Representatives, but only one represents our district.”
