Ralph Poppell

Poppell was born in Florida in 1941 and attended the United States Army Engineer School and Indian River Community College.^[1] He operated a 600-acre citrus farm on the Treasure Coast for several decades, and purchased Float-On, a manufacturer of boat trailers, in 1985.^[2]

In 2000, incumbent Republican State Representative Charlie Sembler was term-limited and could not seek re-election. Poppell ran to succeed him in the 80th District, which included parts of Indian River and St. Lucie counties.^[3] He narrowly lost the primary, receiving 24 percent of the vote to Carole Jordan's 27 percent and Stan Mayfield's 26 percent,^[4] who both proceeded to a runoff election.

Poppell ran for the State House again in 2002,^[5] when State Representative Randy Ball, a Republican, was term-limited in District 29, which included parts of southern Brevard County and northern Indian River County.^[6] Poppell ran to succeed him in the 29th District. He won the Republican primary over retired teacher Pat Harrison and real estate agent Billy Nelson,^[7] receiving 45 percent of the vote to Harrison's 32 percent and Nelson's 22 percent.^[8] In the general election, he faced nonprofit executive Chris Stagman, the Democratic nominee, and contractor Craig Chamberlin, the Libertarian nominee.^[9] Poppell won by a wide margin, receiving 54 percent of the vote to Stagman's 42 percent and Chamberlin's 3 percent.^[10]

Poppell was re-elected unopposed in 2004^[11] and 2006.^[12]

In 2008, Poppell was challenged by Democrat Wes McCarville, a United States Army veteran and University of Central Florida student who served as Vice Chair of the Brevard County Democratic Executive Committee.^[13] Poppell defeated McCarville in a landslide, receiving 59 percent of the vote.^[14]

Poppell was term-limited in 2010 and was succeeded by Republican Tom Goodson in the State House.^[15]