A BRIGHTER FUTURE
Meet
SGT.
wilkins
Army Veteran • Business Leader • Civic Leader
Service before self. Those words have led Sergeant Luther Wilkins throughout his life, beginning with 12 honorable years in the United States Army and Army National Guard. While serving our country from sea to shining sea—including time spent protecting our nation’s nuclear missiles—Sergeant Wilkins gained the skills and leadership qualities that have stayed with him since.
Since returning home to Florida, Sergeant Wilkins has been a leader in business, real estate, marketing, and entrepreneurship. But more than anything, Sergeant Wilkins has always worked to serve his community through volunteerism and activism.
Sergeant Wilkins is once again answering the call to serve. This time he’s running to serve you in the Florida House of Representatives. He is running to fight for quality public schools, affordable housing, sensible growth, support for veterans, and more opportunities for families across District 70.
Leaders Listen
The Right Tool for the Job
Sergeant Wilkins believes that leadership starts with listening to your constituents, communities always come before politics, and every single Floridian has a voice that should be heard in Tallahassee.
Learn about Luther’s plans for District 70 and how you can join his campaign to build a brighter future for our communities.
→ Join Now
Why Wilkins?
Putting
Experience
to Work
Public service isn’t politics. It’s just doing the right thing for your community. That’s been Luther Wilkins’ philosophy throughout his career as an Army veteran, business leader, husband, father and community advocate serving Manatee and Hillsborough counties.
After completing his service to our country in the United States Army, Luther established himself as a leader in business, marketing and insurance. He became heavily involved with local organizations and never shied away from getting involved in issues or topics affecting his community. Luther has always put his best foot forward when it comes to service. Problem solving. Building relationships. Creating opportunities for others.
Now, Luther Wilkins is running for Florida House of Representatives for District 70 to continue serving up in Tallahassee. As a veteran, business owner and community leader, he knows what families, seniors, veterans and small businesses are going through. Skyrocketing housing costs. Crowded classrooms. Traffic and infrastructure. Access to affordable healthcare. These are challenges that affect every person across our great district, and they need solutions NOW. We need competent leadership focused on solutions, not partisan politics.
Whether it’s growing our economy, standing up for public education, supporting veterans, protecting our water and natural resources or simply listening to you, Luther is ready to get to work for you and your family. His campaign will focus on listening to constituents throughout District 70, finding common ground and delivering results that keep our communities strong.
what Wilkins stands for:
fix our schools.
Strong communities start with strong public schools. Schools keep kids on the path to success. They provide stability for working families and help build the talented workforce that local businesses rely on. Every kid in District 70 deserves a quality public education—no matter their ZIP code.
Public schools in Manatee and Hillsborough counties are facing increasing challenges. Our communities are growing. Enrollment is up across much of the county, meaning more students in classrooms, more students on buses, and greater demand on school resources. Meanwhile, billions in taxpayer dollars are being funneled to voucher programs and privately operated schools. Our neighborhood public schools are being drained of resources and many districts are struggling to keep up with demand.
When schools have fewer resources, students pay the price. Teachers are overwhelmed, classrooms are overcrowded, and essential programs like career and technical education, arts, exceptional student education, and mental health support are stretched too thin.
That’s why Sergeant Luther Wilkins believes Florida should double down on its commitment to public education. It’s time to invest in our neighborhood schools by increasing teacher pay to attract and retain the best educators, modernizing school buildings, supporting career and technical education, and ensuring every student has access to the opportunities and resources they need to reach their full potential.
Everyone benefits from a strong public education system. A better public school system will strengthen our economy, draw new businesses to the area, and help prepare the next generation of leaders. It also means safer, more prosperous communities for our families. Let’s invest in our students, support our educators, and partner with parents to give every child in District 70 the opportunity they deserve.
end the housing crisis
Affordable Housing and Responsible Growth in District 70
Working families from Apollo Beach and Ruskin to Parrish, Palmetto, and Terra Ceia know firsthand how difficult it has become to find a home they can afford. Housing affordability is one of the greatest challenges facing our region and communities across Florida House District 70. Home prices and rental costs have risen much faster than wages, making it harder than ever for working families, seniors, veterans, and young adults to put down roots. Rapid population growth throughout Hillsborough and Manatee counties has increased demand for housing while placing added pressure on our roads, schools, utilities, public safety, and other critical infrastructure.
Housing affordability isn't just a challenge for first-time homebuyers—it's an economic issue that affects everyone. Teachers, first responders, healthcare professionals, service industry employees, and small business workers are increasingly being priced out of the communities they serve. When the people who educate our children, protect our neighborhoods, care for our families, and power our local economy cannot afford to live where they work, our entire region feels the impact.
Sergeant Wilkins believes Florida must pursue a balanced, common-sense approach to housing and growth. We must expand the supply of workforce and affordable housing while ensuring that growth is planned responsibly. New development should be matched by investments in transportation, roads, schools, public safety, utilities, and environmental protection. Every time a new development is approved, we should ask one simple question: Will this strengthen our community, or will it outpace the infrastructure and services our residents depend on?
Sergeant Wilkins also believes Florida should better leverage existing state and local housing programs that encourage the construction of affordable workforce housing. Developers should be encouraged to build housing that meets our community's needs while also being held accountable for providing the infrastructure necessary to support long-term growth. Responsible growth means building complete communities—not simply adding more rooftops.
Every hardworking Floridian deserves the opportunity to own a home, raise a family, or retire with dignity in the community they helped build. Sergeant Wilkins is committed to expanding affordable housing opportunities, promoting responsible growth, investing in the infrastructure our growing communities need, and ensuring that District 70 remains a place where families, workers, veterans, and seniors can live, work, and thrive for generations to come.
do better for vets.
District 70 Veterans
District 70 is home to thousands of veterans who bravely served our country when called upon to do so. Veterans in Hillsborough and Manatee counties continue to serve our communities by starting businesses, volunteering as first responders, teaching our children, caring for our families, and more. Both Hillsborough and Manatee counties have some of the largest veteran populations in Florida. That is why it’s important that we ensure veterans have access to the benefits and services they have earned.
The veteran population is only increasing, and with it the need for quality, accessible healthcare and support services in a timely manner. While the VA has improved services in the Tampa Bay area by increasing staff and opening a new VA clinic in South Tampa for veterans who may have struggled to receive care in Hillsborough county, many veterans face too many obstacles to receive quality care. Waiting months for an appointment, traveling great distances, or not being able to see a specialized doctor are problems that require continued investment and coordination.
As a veteran of the U. S. Army, **Sergeant Wilkins** knows many of our veterans face these struggles. Sergeant Wilkins thinks Florida should continue to partner with federal, state, and local entities to improve access to VA healthcare, increase mental health services, improve transportation services for veterans, and connect our veterans to quality jobs, affordable housing, and continuing education.
We have a responsibility to our veterans that extends past their time in uniform. We can honor their service by ensuring they get the healthcare and support they need and deserve from their home state. Sergeant Wilkins will fight for the men and women who fought for us by ensuring every veteran in District 70 has the opportunity to age with dignity, security, and purpose.
community first,
Tallahassee last.
Local Control Creates Strong Communities
Sergeant Wilkins believes that government works best when decisions are made at the lowest level possible. That's why he believes Floridians who live in District 70 know what is best for their communities better than politicians in Tallahassee. It's time to give voters a louder voice in determining their own future.
Florida House District 70 is one of the fastest-growing areas in the state. From expanding communities in southern Hillsborough County to booming neighborhoods in northern Manatee County, families and businesses are flocking to our area and creating new demands on local roads, schools, public safety, water and sewer capacity, parks, and other critical infrastructure. Local officials have the unique experience and expertise needed to tackle these challenges every day, and should be empowered to find solutions that best fit their communities.
For too long, the Florida Legislature has been interfering in matters that are best handled by county and municipal governments. Counties and cities have less control over land use, growth management and development than ever before. Many local elected officials have pushed back against these state preemption laws, arguing that they are unable to effectively plan for growth and meet the needs of their constituents.
Sergeant Wilkins supports the idea of home rule in Florida. State government should set broad guidelines, and empower community leaders to make decisions about how best to plan for growth, manage infrastructure needs, protect public safety, and more. Local officials are on the front lines of community planning. They should have a say in how to address the needs of their residents.
From transportation to economic development, effective solutions come through cooperation between state and local governments. Sergeant Wilkins will work to restore trust in our local institutions by putting communities back in control.
When we empower our neighborhoods to make smart decisions about their own growth and development, we can build stronger local economies and a stronger Florida.