Many of the concerns aired by voters this election season have revolved around the rising cost of -- just about everything. That was on Pamela Agan's mind. She recently moved to New Port Richey from Ohio.
She went to a Republican get-out-the-vote rally last week in Pasco County, headlined by Byron Donalds, who's running for governor.
Agan said she was struck by the cost of insurance here, and supports the upcoming statewide referendum to reduce property taxes. It would kick in later for newcomers like her.
"That would be amazing to (not) have property taxes after 8 or 10 years of being here," she said, "but the insurance blew me away and with car insurance too."
Property taxes, property insurance - and above all, rising prices - were on the minds of several people streaming out of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in New Port Richey.
ALSO READ: Democrats vying for Florida's Senate seat discuss affordability and the Iran War
Lynn and Patrick Murphy came from their home in Hudson to see Donalds.
"Affordability is big on our list," Lynn Murphy said. "And property taxes, we're seniors, so for us, we're OK, but it's, you're on a fixed income, so you just, you don't want to go into all your savings and everything. You just wanna be able to afford to live in Florida."
Patrick Murphy said the cost to insure their homes and cars will definitely factor in who they plan to vote for.
"(Donalds) pointed out the insurance situation needs to get better, and I've heard him talk about that quite a bit, and he's got a background in that, so, and I could tell that he's serious about that," he said. "Everything's doubled in the last 5 years."
Lynn Murphy echoed some of Donalds' speech about how leftists are winning races "up north" and don't want to see that happen here.
"I do have a concern about a lot of people moving from out of state into Florida," she said. "I'd like to keep Florida Florida, you know, that concerns me a little bit. They're leaving for a reason and I don't want them bringing their ideas here."
Murphy called Donalds a "true conservative."
Scott Campbell of Pasco County is a former law enforcement officer in Orlando and Miami, and supports Donalds' law and order positions.
"I think that Donalds models DeSantis, and that's good," he said after the rally. "There's a lot of vacancies right now on death row and hopefully Donald's will keep that up, because these people need to go and we need to protect Florida and its citizens."
