Reinhardt says Democrat label won't hinder him

• Michael D. Bates Sep 24, 2018  

As a Democrat, Paul John Reinhardt said he knows it won’t be easy running for office in a county that leans heavily to the right.

But Reinhardt, from Beverly Hills, believes his views will resonate across party lines as he vies for the District 34 state House of Representatives seat held by Republican incumbent Ralph Massullo.

“It’s about one person standing up to make a difference,” said Reinhardt, invoking Robert Kennedy's famous 1966 "Ripple of Hope" speech.

In fact, Reinhardt — born in Queens, New York — sees himself as a Democrat in the mold of Kennedy.

“I believe the party needs someone with a conservative-to-moderate voice at this time,” he said.

Reinhardt was a health-care lobbyist in Tallahassee, taught anatomy and physiology at the College of Central Florida and a full-time caregiver for his parents, who are now deceased. He said he is ready to devote his full attention to representing Citrus County in Tallahassee and will stress citizen input and public participation to hold state agencies accountable.

Reinhardt is opposed to the extension of the Suncoast Parkway from U.S. 98 to State Road 44 because he believes it will bring more congestion from Tampa and mar Citrus County.

In Hernando County, for example, people are using the parkway to travel to Tampa to shop and it has a negative effect on the local economy there, he said.

Massullo supports the parkway, but wants it to go to U.S. 19 in Red Level instead of stopping at S.R. 44.

Reinhardt said it is concerning that Citrus County has consistently been ranked one of the worst counties in Florida in metrics like obesity rate, availability of mental-health care and access to physicians.

Reinhardt, who has a medical degree from a university in Tampico, Mexico, advocates the use of health clinics and having medical school graduates serve one year at such facilities.

He supports better pay and benefits for teachers including state adjunct instructors, substitute teachers, and substitute support staff.

If elected, he plans to attract better-paying high-tech jobs to Citrus County One way is through a "business incubator," which would train new-business start-ups for at least two years until they’re ready to get off the ground.

Contact Chronicle reporter Michael D. Bates at 352-563-3205 or [email protected].