Nicole Skelly Accepts the Libertarian Nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Florida
A first-person statement from Nicole Skelly
My name is Nicole Skelly. Today I accept the Libertarian nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Florida, and I am proud to run with Scott Jewett.
I was born in Altamonte Springs and raised in this state. I live in Milton, in Santa Rosa County, with my husband, Eric. We have been married sixteen years. We have raised our children here. We have built a life here. Florida is the best state in the country. When we get it right, the rest of America pays attention.
I did not grow up dreaming about political office. I grew up learning a simple rule: if you see a need, you fill it.
In sixth grade, I helped raise money so families in our community could have Christmas. After college, I kept doing the same kind of work. Through my job and as a member of a Krewe in Tampa, I baked for homeless shelters and raised money every holiday season so families could put food on the table. That was how I was raised. You take care of people.
When our kids were young, I chose to stay home. I homeschooled our son, Connor, for second and third grade, and our daughter, Justine, for preschool and pre-K. I have always worked best with a full plate, so I also took over the books and the day to day of our family business. Eric and I have owned a carpentry company here in Florida since 2007. We know what it means to make payroll. We know what it feels like when a new rule from Tallahassee costs time and money you do not have. We have kept that business alive through good years and hard ones.
Almost ten years ago, I walked away from the red team and the blue team for good. I looked until I found the only party whose principles match what I believe the Founders actually meant: a government that stays small, respects your freedom, and stops treating taxpayers like an open wallet. That party is the Libertarian Party. Looking back, I was a Libertarian all along. I just did not have the name for it yet.
Then COVID hit. I watched government grow, waste pile up, and ordinary Floridians get crushed — parents working extra shifts, small business owners fighting to keep the lights on, nurses on long hours, and workers who did not have a loud enough voice. Serving my community, working hard, and raising a family was no longer enough. Counting on the two major parties was no longer an option. I had to do more.
Since then, I have served on the Libertarian Party of Florida Executive Committee and as Chair of our Santa Rosa County affiliate. I kept doing what I have always done. I raise money for groups like Special Olympics Florida. I help build beds for kids through Sleep in Heavenly Peace. And I have sat through county and district meetings — sometimes late into the night — to push back when government steps on people’s rights. We stopped red light cameras in Milton. We stopped mandatory fire inspections on people’s homes used as short term rentals in Santa Rosa County. We helped push back on a forced septic to sewer ordinance that failed. Those fights were not campaign stunts. They were the same rule I learned in sixth grade. If you see a need, you fill it. Now the need is freedom itself.
I am not a career politician. I am a mom, a small-business owner, and a lifelong volunteer.
I finally decided the only way to protect the people and the state I love is to stop asking the red team and the blue team to do it for us.
Today I accept this nomination because Floridians are ready for leaders who trust them. Parents should raise their kids as they see fit. Small business owners should keep more of what they earn. Retirees on fixed incomes should not be taxed out of their homes. Working people who built this state should be able to stay in it. Government should live on a budget and get out of the way.
Scott Jewett and I are running to keep Florida the best state in America. We will shrink government overreach. We will stop wasting your tax dollars. We will defend your rights. We will trust people more than government, so Floridians can live free. Because when Florida leads, the country notices.
The Libertarian Party of Florida says you own your life. We agree. The smallest minority is the individual. That is who we serve.
If you are tired of the same broken playbook, stand with us. Volunteer. Talk to a neighbor. Register to vote. This nomination is not the finish line. It is the start of the work.
This is Nicole Skelly. I accept this nomination. I am all in for Florida.
About Nicole Skelly
Nicole Skelly is a lifelong Floridian from Milton in Santa Rosa County. She is a mother, small-business owner, and volunteer. She and her husband, Eric, have operated a carpentry company in Florida since 2007. She has served on the Libertarian Party of Florida Executive Committee and as Chair of the Santa Rosa County affiliate. She is the Libertarian nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Florida in 2026, running with Scott Jewett for Governor.