By Hayley Fedor
After running in the Florida House District 59 election last year, Michael Owen is back and has decided to run for Hillsborough County Commissioner District 4, which he officially announced on March 1.
While elections for county commissioner will not begin until August of 2022, Owen’s campaigning and fundraising efforts are in full swing as he looks to gain community support.
Raised in Brandon, Owen has a deep appreciation and love for the community. He is a small business owner and attorney that specializes in property law, state planning and small business law, which gives him the experience needed for holding the position of county commissioner.
“I feel led to do it right now. I feel that it’s very important that East Hillsborough gets representation of somebody that’s ready day one to make an impact on the community,” said Owen.
Much of his decisiveness to run in the next election comes as a result of Stacy White, the current District 4 seat holder, ending his term, leaving one of the only Republican seats left in the county commission vacant.
Deeply involved in the community, Owen regularly attends Arise Church and serves on the board of many foundations in the area, like Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association and the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
“My faith is very important to me. Christ is the center point of my life and He’s my ‘why.’ I think it’s very important for people in public office that we have more Christians and people of faith in public office and that we don’t shy away from that,” said Owen.
Owen’s beliefs and leadership style are strongly rooted in the idea of limiting the role of government in people’s lives and emphasizing home rule. This means that the government closest to the people is the best government to be making decisions for them without impeding on citizens’ freedoms and rights under the Constitution.
“I’m someone that believes that when it comes to raising your kids, the parents are the experts; when it comes to running your small business, the business owners are the experts,” said Owen.
Along with support from the community, Owen has also been endorsed by Republican State Senators Danny Burgess and Jim Boyd.
To find out more about Michael Owen and his campaign for District 4 County Commissioner, visit his Facebook page @MichaelOwenFL or visit www.votemichaelowen.com.
