Keith Fitzgerald for Congress!

Keith has devoted his life to public service.

Keith is the kind of person who makes serving the community his passion and vocation.  From his time in high school and college teaching dyslexic children until his present job as a college professor at New College of Florida, Keith has been an educator.  As a Ph.D. in political science, he has studied politics his whole life, taught at colleges and universities and conducted scholarly research. Prior to his election, Keith’s leadership positions at his college and in the community and presently serves on several boards of private non-profit organizations.  He has worked on innovative community service initiatives in Bradenton and Sarasota as part of his teaching.

In Keith’s teaching, he stresses the crucial role of citizens our Founders built into our governing institutions.  He is an expert on politics who combines history, moral and political theory, and social science to study the way that political life in the United States has evolved over time. A trained expert on public policy in his own right, Keith is independent from the persuasion of paid lobbyists and politics as usual. He has taught courses on the philosophy and practice of American citizenship, which is not only a topic of scholarly study, but also a personal passion.

As a husband and father of twins working to make ends meet on the salary of an educator, Keith understands first-hand the issues that matter to everyday Floridians.  He has fought to make life better for all of our state’s citizens and families, not just the insiders who dominate our political processes.

Rising above Partisanship

Keith puts practical solutions to solving problems ahead of party and ideology. He enjoys support across party lines, and does especially well with independents who want substance over political games.  During his time in the Florida legislature, Keith established himself as a pragmatic voice.  He stood strong on his principles but worked effectively with both parties.  And as a lifelong educator with real experience finding real solutions for real problems that people face every day, Keith is, hands down, a candidate voters easily identify with.

Keith has proven himself as a leader.

Keith Fitzgerald has proven himself to be a leader with the integrity to stand up to special interests and fight for the people of Florida.  In the State House, Keith worked on issues such as alternative energy, affordable housing, mental health, campaign finance reform, and led the fight against drilling off our beaches.  He was widely heralded as one of the smartest and hardest working legislators, the kind who not only reads the bills, but masters the details.  Keith served as Policy Chair for the House Democratic Caucus, giving him a leading role in shaping the caucus’s policy agenda.

Born in Springfield, OH and raised in Louisville, KY, Keith holds a B.A. from the University of Louisville and a Ph.D. from Indiana University. Keith has lived in Sarasota since 1994.