Florida is a place of unparalleled diversity of backgrounds, experiences and vision. It makes our culture unique, but it can also make it difficult to define a common identity and create a sense of community that reaches beyond our neighborhoods to all corners of our state.

I believe that the great majority of people coming here illegally have no other option. They want to provide for their family. But we need to control our border. It's not - it's our responsibility to pick and choose who comes in.

I used to be a conservative and I watch these debates and I'm wondering, I don't think I've changed, but it's a little troubling sometimes when people are appealing to people's fears and emotion rather than trying to get them to look over the horizon for a broader perspective and that's kind of where we are.

There's a direct link between percentage of young people that are educated and how we live our lives.

There is no question we need higher academic standards and at the local level the rigor of the Common Core state standards must be the new minimum in classrooms.

You have to remember that in a state like Florida, independent voters will decide the election.

I never felt comfortable with making political decisions based on whether, you know, it was the right thing to do in terms of a poll.