Affordability is the watch word for the three candidates vying for the Florida House District 94 seat — incumbent Republican Meg Weinberger, Democrat Elizabeth Holmes and independent candidate Doug Barrow.
District 94 includes all of the Acreage/Loxahatchee area, Loxahatchee Groves and Westlake, parts of Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, and all of western Palm Beach County, including the Glades. The district trends Republican. Weinberger won in 2024 with just over 55 percent of the vote.
Weinberger, a Caloosa resident, and Holmes, who lives in Palm Beach Country Estates, said one of the main drivers of the county and state’s affordability crisis is home insurance costs.
“The cost of living is out of control, especially as it relates to insurance companies,” said Holmes, who grew up in Wellington.
She supports the hurricane insurance plan proposed by gubernatorial candidate David Jolly, the Democrat in the race.
Under Jolly’s plan, Florida’s state catastrophe fund would fully absorb hurricane and wind risk from private insurers, aiming to cut private homeowner premiums by 60 to 70 percent. Opponents dispute those savings and suggest it could cost Florida families roughly $1,000 more per year.
At the same time, Holmes said there needs to be an increase in the homestead tax exemption but said the passage of the proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot would be “disastrous” for county and municipal governments that rely on property taxes to fund infrastructure, police and fire protection.
Amendment 3 would raise Florida’s homestead property tax exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027, then to $250,000 in 2028, inflation-adjusted thereafter, while cutting the annual assessment growth cap on non-homestead properties from 10 percent to 5 percent.
Weinberger said she supports Amendment 3 but that more needs to be done.
During the last legislative session, Weinberger suggested that the cost of homeowners’ insurance be deductible from property taxes. If re-elected, Weinberger said she intends to put forth the idea again to party leadership.
“We’ve got to make sure that our seniors aren’t priced out of their homes,” she said, adding that in high-cost counties such as Palm Beach, ways must be found to make living affordable for teachers and first responders.
While stop-gap measures can help, Weinberger said long term, a real sea change may be needed in how communities are developed and expanded in fast-growing Florida. She pointed out that in some states, communities are being developed that are all inclusive in terms of infrastructure with no need for large, external transportation arteries. She has a detailed list of priorities on her web site (www.megforflorida.com).
Barrow, who also lives in the Caloosa area of Palm Beach Gardens, did not return phone calls and texts requesting comment for this article.
However, Barrow’s web site (www.dougbarrowforflorida.com) states that rather than expanding subsidized “affordable housing” programs, he’d like to see tax relief pathways, education credits and job incentives aimed at first-time homebuyers, first responders, veterans and teachers.
In terms of homeowners’ insurance, Barrow’s site states that legislators have the wrong priorities and should focus more on capping insurance premiums and forcing insurers to offer more deductibles.
All three candidates are cautious about construction of AI hyperscale data centers in the state.
Holmes argues on her site (www.elizabethholmesforflorida.com) that such centers “can threaten local water supplies, strain energy infrastructure, create noise and traffic, and impact quality of life.” She pledges to oppose data centers without “meaningful community support.”
Barrow’s stance is even stronger. He states on his site that no data center should be approved without the direct consent of local residents, not by governmental representatives.
Weinberger, who visited with Arden residents during the recent battle over the proposed data center at nearby 20-Mile Bend, acknowledges that data centers are necessary but adds that location is key.
“The need for [AI data centers] is great, but they can be dangerous if they are too close,” she told the Town-Crier earlier this year.
Weinberger has said, however, that because the technology is so new, she does not believe legislators should rush in to regulate it.
Another major focus for Holmes, who earned an education degree from Florida Atlantic University, is public education. She taught English in the Palm Beach County School District for 16 years and now works with special needs students, especially those with autism.
Holmes centers her education policy on supporting teachers — including pay increases, improving classroom resources and ensuring that public funding is used to benefit students.
According to the National Education Association’s most recent Rankings & Estimates report (released April 2026, covering 2024-25), Florida ranks 50th out of 50 states for average teacher salary at $56,663.
While there should be educational options, today’s school choice plans are “not realistic” for many families, Holmes said.
“You can’t have strong communities without strong schools,” Holmes said. “[Florida] needs to pay teachers better.”
The School District of Palm Beach County, in particular, has lost some 7,000 students between the start of school in 2025 and the opening day of 2026. The loss could cost local schools tens of millions in state funding and force more layoffs.
Weinberger, who was home schooled, said that local public schools should “look at this as an opportunity to raise the bar… and be more competitive.”
She also said that schools should place greater emphasis on workforce learning as a way to change the trajectory of many students who are not interested in traditional college-bound academics.
Weinberger added that the same is true for special needs children and adults who, with the right training and support, can flourish. Her legislative focus on people with special needs comes from her own experience, she said, having grown up with a foster sister with Down syndrome.
“I feel how overlooked they are,” she said. “I’ll always be a voice for the voiceless.”
Weinberger also has advocated for increased penalties for those who abuse animals.
In 2025, she successfully introduced Dexter’s Law, which requires the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to post online the names of individuals convicted of specified animal cruelty offenses and creates a sentencing multiplier for aggravated animal cruelty offenses.
Holmes said that behind Weinberger’s caring veil, she is “the epitome of corruption.”
“She’s not for the people,” Holmes said. “She’s just climbing the ladder for herself… [and] building her own fortune. Her priorities align with [President Donald] Trump’s.”
Weinberger — sometimes referred to as “MAGA Meg” — was an early Trump supporter. He endorsed her in her 2024 race and again this year.
Holmes has “mostly been focused on attacking me,” Weinberger said. “I’ve just been doing a lot of grassroots campaigning… knocking on doors and putting up signs… I’m focused on what I’m doing. I think you just have to run the race and be who you are.”
