Tamika Lyles

Tamika Lyles was born in Jackson, Tennessee. She obtained an undergraduate degree in April 2001 and a graduate degree in April 2016. Lyles has served in the U.S. Air Force. Her professional experience includes working as a high school teacher and as a business owner. She is a Florida notary public. Lyles is a member of the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida, the Democratic Veteran's Caucus of Florida, the Osceola County Democratic Executive Committee, and the Osceola County Democratic Women's Club. She is the president of the Osceola County Democratic Black Caucus and the vice president of the Osceola County Democratic Veteran's Caucus.[1]

U.S. House Florida District 16

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Tamika Lyles is an Air Force veteran, educator, and advocate whose life has been defined by service to people navigating broken systems.

Raised in Tennessee by a single mother working two jobs, Tamika learned early that stability is earned and dignity must be defended. She became the youngest certified nursing assistant in her state’s history, working in public hospitals while completing high school early. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving seven years as a medical technician caring for service members and their families.

Following her honorable discharge, Tamika pursued law with a focus on civil rights, mediation, and homelessness prevention. When her father’s illness brought her to Florida, she put down roots and continued her service as a public-school history teacher, where she saw firsthand how rising costs, underfunded schools, and policy failures impact families and children every day.

She later founded Standing Heroes for Average Workers, a nonprofit connecting lawmakers to working families facing housing insecurity, healthcare barriers, and veterans’ access issues. Today, Tamika teaches civic engagement at Lynn University, serves in Democratic leadership at the county and state level, and remains deeply embedded in community advocacy across Central and South Florida.

Tamika Lyles is running for Congress because Florida families deserve better, and this country deserves leaders who understand who they work for.

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?

Tamika will fight to expand Medicaid to close Florida’s coverage gap, cap prescription drug costs for seniors and families, protect Medicare and VA healthcare, and ensure caregivers have the resources and support they need to provide care with dignity.Tamika will fight to fully fund Florida’s public education system. She supports raising teacher pay to competitive, livable levels to recruit and retain high-quality educators, reducing class sizes, and ensuring schools have the counselors, support staff, and modern resources students need to succeed. She will treat education as essential infrastructure for Florida’s long-term economic and civic health.Tamika will fight for a living wage, protect workers' rights, and ensure that work produces security, not just survival. She will work to ensure that economic dignity is a baseline expectation for all workers. because she believes that if you work for this country, it should work for you.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare, Education, Veterans, and the Economy

U.S. Senate Florida

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a mother, veteran, teacher, small business owner and advocate, Tamika Lyles has proven to be a dedicated mediator, philanthropist, and passionate advocate. Her enthusiasm for social change, avid interest in law and public policy, combined with her multi-level ideas have led her to seek a seat in the Florida House, as the Representative for District 43 in 2020. Her platform is built around healthcare, education, minimizing poverty, creating affordable housing, building the economy and many other issues that plague underrepresented communities. Upon winning this election, Tamika will once again make history as the first person of African American descent AND the first woman to ever represent District 43.

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?

I believe healthcare is a human rightI believe all children have a right to equal and adequate public educationI believe all people have a right to adequate and affordable housing

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare, education, housing, wages and climate change

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

I look up to my mother. My mother participated in sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement and ultimately became the first woman of color to be promoted to management in the company she worked for. In addition, she was the first woman I knew to become a business owner. I admire her strength to fight through adversity and her desire to achieve despite no path being made for her. To achieve such great accomplishments while being a single mother is astounding and rare. She had no idea that the path she was constructing would be the blue print for the path her daughter would also construct.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe our representatives should be "of the people, by the people and for the people." Too often we base our decision on factors of little relevance, such as money and experience. I believe representatives should have experience in leadership and representation in some capacity. However, holding a prior office does not always determine who will do a better job. I believe the closer a person is to the community, the better job he/she can do speaking on behalf of the people he/she represents.

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

Florida is a battleground state. Therefore, one of the state's greatest challenges will always be "party politics." The focus remains on who the parties want to represent the people and not who the people want to represent them. Money in politics is the biggest influential factor. I would like to see Florida move more toward ensuring the right candidate is one whose first priority is ensuring the constituents are adequately represented and understanding that most people are unable to contribute thousands of dollars to political campaigns. Nevertheless, all people deserve to be heard.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I do believe it is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators. Often those relationships are tools for getting legislation passed and bridges for a career in the political arena. My main goal is to ensure I provide adequate representation for the constituents I represent.