Clearwater’s Jim Vricos is a walking encyclopedia of issues that concern citizens. Literally.
Vricos, who is running for a seat in Florida’s House of Representatives, pounds the pavement – walking neighborhoods, talking to residents and listening carefully to their concerns.
Starting at the Clearwater Monument on the Courtney Campbell Causeway, he embarked on a journey to walk the entire circumference of the newly redistricted Florida House District 58. He walks five to seven miles each day.
“Florida, like so much of the country, is at a critical juncture,” said Vricos in an exclusive interview with ColorfulClearwater.com. “We have a lot to look forward to, but we also have a lot to protect. So, I’m looking forward to walking this entire District by the primary on August 23rd.”
Vricos’ team of dedicated volunteers travel in red scooters with sidecars or just hoof it, and together have knocked on 5,000 doors with 12,000 registered Republican voters.
Including his multiple sign-waving events, Vricos campaigns in what he calls “the old-fashioned way.” You can follow his progress on Facebook at Facebook.com/votevricos or at at www.JimVricos.com, where photos and a progress map are updated at the end of each day.
Vricos also coordinated six monthly Meet & Greets and not at ritzy locations, he points out, but instead at casual pizzerias. He also threw a block party that drew many supporters.
At one of his campaign get-togethers I met him and his lovely wife Debbie and their three children: Dianna (13) and twins Billy and Petra (11). He grew up in Clearwater.
With the 2022 Primary Election Day looming on Tuesday, August 23, Vricos is going all out in the waning days of an exhausting campaign. So why is he running? “Debbie and I were watching TV one night and talking about what they were teaching in schools and how police departments were being defunded,” he said. “She told me ‘Do something about it instead of just talking about it.” He realized she was right and made a commitment right then and there to try and make a difference in Florida’s legislature.
Vricos, an attorney who has worked in D.C. as a prosecutor in the office of the Attorney General for much of his career, also worked as an Associate Academic Dean at Keiser University in the Criminal Justice Department. He’s presently serving at Keiser as an adjunct professor teaching Criminal Law. Read more about Jim’s background at www.jimvricos.com/meet-jim.
Vricos is backed by friends, families and private citizens – no PACS or special interests – and proudly says his campaign answers only to the people invested in him. He’s running a positive campaign and avoiding any negativism, preferring instead to state his positions on issues he feels are of most importance to our community: supporting law enforcement, local and small businesses and making parents mostly responsible for their children’s education. He wants to address homelessness by creating a uniform statewide effort that’s sufficiently funded with support from municipal governments across Florida. That would provide resources for those with mental health and drug issues as well as remove from the streets those with criminal warrants.
He expounded by stating that he strongly opposes legislation that makes it easier to sue police officers as individuals, thereby making them at risk of losing their personal possessions and more reluctant to make necessary arrests to protect the public.
As it relates to school curriculums, he believes in putting more decision-making into the hands of parents and what children are being taught in schools. “I am a family man first and foremost,” he remarked. “The family unit provides the only avenue to a better life for our children. I will support and work to pass those laws that empower parents – not the state – to determine what is in the interests of their children and which schools they attend.”
Vricos will continue to push forward right up until Election Day, promising to knock on yet more doors and engaging in sign waving. If you see him, honk. Or better yet, he’d appreciate your vote.
Listen to Jim Vricos on The Kelly Kelly Show at https://www.facebook.com/VoteVricos/videos/419849303477816
Jim Vricos, candidate for Florida House of Representatives
Campaign website: www.jimvricos.com
Facebook campaign page: www.facebook.com/VoteVricos
Instagram: www.instagram.com/vote.vricosfl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JVricos
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jim-vricos-623b6b226
2022 Primary Election Information: www.votepinellas.com/Election-Information/Elections/Current-Upcoming-Elections1/2022-Primary-Election
All ballots must be returned to a Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. www.votepinellas.com/Election-Information/Elections/Current-Upcoming-Elections1/2022-Primary-Election/Early-Voting-and-Mail-Ballot-Return-Locations
Find your precinct and voting location: www.votepinellas.com/Election-Information/Find-Your-Precinct-Polling-Place
Are You Election Ready? www.votepinellas.com/ElectionReady
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He sure has my vote! This is how all campaigns should be run. We have to stop all this outside money flowing to candidates and get back to electing representatives like Jim who are not beholden to super pacs, lobbyist and political groups from Tallahassee and outside the state. Great job highlighting Jim and his campaign!