‘Staunch conservative’ bids farewell to House with a bipartisan address

A Treasure Coast power player in the Legislature is bowing out after serving eight years in the chamber.

Rep. Toby Overdorf, a Palm City Republican, bid farewell to his colleagues on the floor of the House this week. The HD 85 seat holder is leaving the lower chamber, but he’s hardly leaving politics.

Still, Overdorf, who is the Chair of the House Select Committee on Property Taxes and Alternating Chair of the House Joint Administrative Procedures Committee, addressed other representatives and said his experience as a lawmaker humbles him.

“Public service is not about titles or recognition. It is about stewardship — stewardship of our laws, stewardship of our communities, and stewardship of the future of the great state of Florida,” Overdorf said.

He was first elected to represent areas of Martin and St. Lucie Counties in 2018. He’s billed himself as a staunch conservative. Still, in his farewell comments, he struck a bipartisan theme.

“Legislative debate can sometimes be ‘spirited’ — and that is a good thing. Healthy disagreement is part of democracy. But at the end of the day, what matters is that we approach this work with respect for one another and a shared commitment to the people we serve,” Overdorf said.

While Overdorf is preparing to leave the House, he’s hardly done with politics. He’s been working for nearly a year on his campaign for the Senate. He announced his run for the SD 3 seat in July, hoping to succeed Sen. Gayle Harrell, who is leaving in 2028 due to term limits.

Overdorf’s time in the House was productive. He was intricately involved in several key pieces of legislation, including:

— Strengthening Florida’s human trafficking laws and training more than 100,000 Floridians on how to identify human trafficking,

— Advancing water policy, supporting restoration of rivers, springs, and wetlands, and promoting sustainable growth.

— Modernizing development regulations, improving permitting transparency and ensuring Florida’s rapid growth protected property rights and infrastructure.