Charlene Joyce has filed to run in the Nov. 2026 mid-term elections for the State House District 54 seat which covers parts of Pasco County, including Dade City and some of Wesley Chapel, and is currently held by fellow Republican Randy Maggard.
Charlene is a conservative Republican who lives in Dade City and says she disagrees with legislation Rep. Maggard filed in November to prohibit counties and cities from adopting their own rules related to water quality, wetlands, and pollution control.
“The State House is trying to put more emphasis on [its own] power,” Charlene says, “rather than trying to let the people make the decisions for where they live.”
She says overdevelopment is a big issue, and that Pasco County needs smarter ways to grow. “It shouldn’t take an hour to get somewhere that’s 20 minutes away,” she says.
And, while she says she has nothing personally against Maggard, “God put it on my heart that I need to try to make a change, and make a difference in the lives of others.”
Charlene says it’s important to her to listen to her future constituents, and to maintain the beauty of Pasco County.
“I listen more than I talk,” she says. “I want to ask people questions, [find out] what’s important to them, keeping it grassroots, conservative, and helping others protect their rights as parents and landowners.”
Charlene grew up in Wesley Chapel and is a single mom of two children, ages 6 and 3. She attends Life Church in Wesley Chapel, and says faith is central to her campaign, which she sees as a calling.
She also is a licensed registered nurse and obtained her R.N. degree through Rasmussen College in Tampa in 2018. She is the health care administrator for a residential facility in Hillsborough County for the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), where she cares for female residents, ages 12 to 18.
“One of my pushing points for running was when I started working at DJJ,” she says. “I saw a lot of things that could be implemented through legislation and a lot of loopholes that could be closed.”
For example, she says, while DJJ employees are drug tested before they are hired, there is no Florida statute that requires testing throughout employment.
“I’ve encountered people who came to work smelling like marijuana,” she says, “and that’s unacceptable in a place with youth.”
However, she says, since residential facilities are contracted out to third party providers, they stick closely to legal requirements.
“They do what they have to do,” she says, “but not anything extra, because it’s money out of their pocket.”
She says her experience working with the youth in the facility where she works has been moving. On the weekends, she volunteers there with a team from a ministry called Set Free out of Pinellas County.
For kids who want to participate in the Set Free program, Charlene and the team bring Christian music and Bible teaching. She says she brings hope to the youth in her facility, most of whom have experienced trauma such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
“No one is hopeless,” she says. “God always finds a way, letting them know they are loved and valued. It’s so important for a child to thrive and to walk a different path. These children may have made some bad decisions that put them in a position that might alter their lives for the worse, but I want to take that opportunity to change it for the better.”
Charlene also is a licensed real estate agent who obtained her Florida real estate license in 2024.
She says she is looking forward to the election, which will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
For more information about Charlene’s campaign for State House, visit CharleneforStateHouse54.com, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram @CharleneforStateHouse54. She can be contacted at (813) 333-8612. For more info about Charlene’s real estate business, visit CJoyceHomes.com.
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