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Andy Mele

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This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Andy Mele
Image of Andy Mele

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Graduate

Bard College, 2002

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1968 - 1971

Personal
Birthplace
Kingston, N.Y.
Religion
Episcopalian
Profession
Waterkeeper
Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Andy Mele (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Florida House of Representatives to represent District 71. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Mele completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Andy Mele was born in Kingston, New York. He earned a master's degree from Bard College in 2002. Mele's professional experience includes working as a waterkeeper. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1971, and he previously ran a wooden boatbuilding company for 18 years.[1]

Elections

2020

See also: Florida House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Florida House of Representatives District 71

Incumbent Will Robinson defeated Andy Mele in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 71 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Will Robinson
Will Robinson (R)
 
57.8
 
51,751
Image of Andy Mele
Andy Mele (D) Candidate Connection
 
42.2
 
37,745

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 89,496
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Andy Mele advanced from the Democratic primary for Florida House of Representatives District 71.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Will Robinson advanced from the Republican primary for Florida House of Representatives District 71.

Endorsements

To view Mele's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Andy Mele completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mele's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Andy Mele has a master's degree in environmental science, concentrated in environmental economics and policy. He is author of Polluting for Pleasure, the book that led directly to the extinction of twelve million two-cycle outboard motors, ending annual discharges into American waterways of 50 million gallons of oil and gasoline from pleasure boats. He was Executive Director of Clearwater, the Hudson River environmental group formed by folk singer Pete Seeger in 1966, and won the 30-year battle with General Electric over its massive PCB spill in the Hudson. He was recently ED of Suncoast Waterkeeper, working for protection of coastal ecosystems, to halt phosphate strip mining and untrammeled development in Florida, and to bring red tide back to pre-development levels. He is currently running for the Florida House in District 71. There is lots more information, including a legislative agenda, at www.andymeleforflhouse.com.
  • The environment IS the economy in coastal Florida. The Conservatives who dominate Florida politics are concerned solely with their failed, tired agenda, and have not been effective responding to the many crises of the last 2-4 years.
  • Florida is in crisis, and the Tallahassee Conservatives don't seem to care. COVID-19, the statewide water crisis, a crumbling economy, 2.8 million Floridians without health care, ecosystems in tatters, and corruption is rampant.
  • I have positive policy responses to Florida's problems. It's not rocket science. We just need the political will. And I have it.
The environment is my strong suit. The economy of a coastal House district is dependent on a healthy environment. The Republicans' failure to manage the COVID pandemic in Florida has also put the economy on very shaky footing. Human health, healthy waters and a healthy economy are one and the same. The prescription for economic strength is tho get COVID under control, and cure the state's sick waters. With those two things accomplished, the economy can thrive.
Core belief in the sanctity of the public interest, public benefit, and integrity when faced with the temptations of corruption.
I am passionate about fixing as many of the stupid mistakes the conservatives have made in this state. And when I say I am going to do something, I never back down.
When Sen. Joe McCarthy fled the country. I must have been 8 or 9 years old. I was upset because Joe McCarthy was also the name of ly Little League coach, so my parents had to explain it.
You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin', by David Allan Coe
I'll tell you in a year!
My impression is that many legislators are coming in without experience. I worked a successful congressional campaign in 2006, so I have some key experience. Also, there is nothing in politics or poli sci that guarantees leadership chops in an elected official. I ran a $1.4 million environmental group for years, with 23 employees, four departments, 12,000 members, a 110' wooden tall ship used for environmental education and a weekend festival every summer that had 700 volunteers and brought in 15,000 attendees. That's where leadership comes from.
Recovering from the excesses and incompetence of the Conservative majority.
Why ask? It will never happen!
Absolutely. I believe in collaboration and working in a culture of respect, and I will work to maintain those relationships.
Absolute fairness. Gerrymandering is the bane of the democratic process.
Possibly.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 21, 2020


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