Jason Bellamy-Fults

Jason Bellamy-Fults earned a high school diploma from Lakeland High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Berea College in 2006 and a graduate degree from the University of Florida in 2023. His career experience includes working as an educator.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a fourth generation Floridian from a large, working class family: blue and white collar workers, small business owners, all across the political spectrum. My mom raised my younger sister and me working as a waitress until she was able to open her own small restaurant. I started working in middle school and have often had to juggle multiple jobs to get by. I understand the hustle that most working people have to undertake to keep a roof over their head.

One of the best things that ever happened to me was the opportunity to attend Berea College, a small, Christian, liberal arts college nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. The motto of Berea is “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth.” As an alumnus, I try every day to live up to that wisdom.

I spent a few years in Asia after college, another life-changing experience, then returned to my native Florida in 2008. Since then, I’ve worked closely with the Community Weatherization Coalition, a nonprofit organization that helps our neighbors find ways to lower their utility bills and address critical home repairs.

I’ve also been active in my union. I was a union electrical worker with IBEW Local 1205, then transitioned to adult education, both for Santa Fe College and the IBEW apprenticeship program. A few years ago, I earned my master’s degree in Education from the University of Florida, and am employed there now working in the field of academic technology.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Affordability

Floridians work hard. We have to address the cost of living issues that are crushing our families. Too many people in our state are uninsured or under-insured and struggling with unaffordable housing costs and utility bills. All working people deserve living wages, access to a healthy home and affordable insurance, a real voice in their workplace, time with their family, and the ability to enjoy retirement some day. These are not radical ideas, but they are increasingly out of reach for too many people in our state.End the corruption

We have to stop the blank checks for Tallahassee politicians. No more big business lobbyists buying our elected officials and then writing the legislation that they want to see. No more corporate handouts inserted into our state budget. And no more misuse of public funds.Local control

We live in a diverse state. Gainesville’s needs are different from Glen St. Mary’s, and no one in Tallahassee knows what’s better for our communities than we the people who live there. If Tallahassee politicians can’t help us achieve our goals, they can at least get out of the way. Stop the endless preemptions and respect home rule and local democracy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Workers rights

The rights and livelihoods of working people. Roll back the attacks on our rights to a union and undo preemptions on efforts in our communities to improve pay and working conditions.

Energy

I've been a union electrical worker and have spent years volunteering with a local nonprofit that helps people lower their utility bills and access critical home repair. We won't have affordable utility bills and a healthy environment until we stop letting the big, monopoly utilities run our political system.

Healthcare

Florida must accept the billions of Medicaid expansion tax dollars that we have already paid to the federal government and improve healthcare access and jobs in our rural communities.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My mom will always be at the top of this list. She worked incredibly hard her entire life and struggled through so many years of raising two kids mostly by herself. She always made sure that we had what we needed and knew that she loved and supported us no matter what.

Family aside, Frederick Douglass has always been my personal hero. I have also found tremendous inspiration from the example of participants in the labor movement and the civil rights movement. These people struggled and in some cases died for the rights that we enjoy today. We owe it to their legacy to protect our democracy and to carry the torch of freedom forward.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Accountability, transparency, integrity.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To be responsive to the needs and desires of their constituents. To be a moral example of public service. To empower people who want to be engaged in the civic process.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A strengthened democracy and more people enjoying basic economic rights. A healthy environment that we can be proud to leave our future generations. A stronger tradition of civic engagement in our communities.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My family worked in the restaurant industry when I was growing up. That's also where I got my start. As a middle schooler, I would bike to the restaurant where my mom worked and help the waitresses clean up at the end of the workday on weekends. That eventually led to being a dishwasher, and then a line cook, and then the night manager. I worked in the restaurant industry all the way through high school and then numerous times after that in later years.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have a very difficult time with bullies and with witnessing needless suffering in the world around me. I believe that the most precious resource in the entire known universe is consciousness and I remain ever hopeful that we humans will recognize the incredible blessings that we have inherited and act accordingly. To quote a line from Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator":

"To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people…Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts!...You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure."

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Mutual respect and accountability. Active communication and collaboration in service to the residents of this state.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Whether or not Florida will be an affordable place to live for working people.

Whether we will have widespread access to clean water and a safe environment.

And whether our state will be accountable to its residents or only to a wealthy few.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Absolutely yes, to a point. If we have shared values, for instance, basic economic rights, then we can have civil debate on how best to achieve those values. Different perspectives are always valuable. There are many ways to achieve policy objectives, and there will always be unforeseen consequences of government policies and programs. So we have to listen to each other and be open to different viewpoints. But I refuse to compromise on questions of basic human dignity and the sanctity of life.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

State Senator Brian Nathan

State Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson

Alachua County Commissioners Anna Prizzia and Marihelen Wheeler.

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward

Gainesville City Commissioners Bryan Eastman, James Ingle, and Casey Willits.

Florida Alliance for Retired Americans

Florida AFL-CIO

Florida Education Association (FEA)

Jax NOW

Individual member unions of FEA and the AFL-CIO, such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1205 and United Faculty of Florida at UF.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The release of Michael Jackson's Thriller album. :-)