Preceded by Joe Saunders Religion Christian Political party Republican Name Rene Plasencia | Spouse(s) Yvonne Role Politician Profession Teacher Party Republican Party | |
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Born January 8, 1973 (age 51)
Orlando, Florida ( 1973-01-08 ) Alma mater University of Central Florida (B.A.) Education University of Central Florida | ||
noshowrene plasencia refuses debate with joe saunders linda stewart rips mike miller
Rene "Coach P" Plasencia (born January 8, 1973) is an American Republican politician who currently serves as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 49th District, including northern Orange County and the main campus of the University of Central Florida, since 2014.
Contents
- noshowrene plasencia refuses debate with joe saunders linda stewart rips mike miller
- Full 3 16 2017 rep robert cortes mike miller scott plakon rene plasencia
- History
- Florida House of Representatives
- References
Full 3 16 2017 rep robert cortes mike miller scott plakon rene plasencia
History
Plasencia was born in Orlando, Florida, and attended Dr. Phillips High School and then the University of Central Florida, where he started the first student athlete advisory board. He graduated with his bachelor's degree and then began working as a coach and government teacher at Colonial High School.
Florida House of Representatives
In 2014, incumbent State Representative Joe Saunders, a Democrat, ran for re-election in the 49th District, so Plasencia ran against him. He faced Ed Rodriguez, a retired police detective, in the Republican primary. Plasencia campaigned on his opposition to the Common Core Standards and standardized tests, saying, "We need to give teachers the ability to teach. A lot of what we do is almost clerical work." He ended up defeating Rodriguez in a landslide, winning the primary with 77% of the vote and advancing to the general election, where he faced Saunders. Plasencia argued that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, which Saunders supported, was a "jobs killer," and praised Governor Rick Scott on "gun rights, economics, taxes, and pro-growth strategies," while also emphasizing that he supported public education. The Orlando Sentinel, while praising Plasencia as a "passionate advocate for education," endorsed Saunders, noting that "public schools already have a champion in Saunders." Ultimately, however, Plasencia defeated Saunders by just seven hundred votes, winning his first term in the legislature with 51% of the vote.
In November of 2016, Plasencia was elected as representative for the 50th district, following his term in the 49th district.