Wasserman seeks District 22 Senate seat as Democrat

Lew Wasserman, a Lakewood Ranch Democrat, is running for Florida State Senate District 22 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Republican James Buchanan and Martin Hyde, listed as No Party Preference.

Asked why he is running, Wasserman said in our candidate questionnaire: "I'm running because I believe government should work for the people it serves. Throughout my career as an attorney, educator, and public-school administrator, I have seen what good public institutions can accomplish—and what happens when they lose sight of the people affected by their decisions."

He added: "Florida is facing serious challenges: skyrocketing property insurance and housing costs, rapid growth that is straining our infrastructure, threats to our water and environment, and an increasing concentration of power in Tallahassee at the expense of local communities."

Candidate information

Residence: Lakewood Ranch, Florida

Family: Wasserman said in our questionnaire: "I live in Lakewood Ranch with my wife Lucy and am proud to call the Sarasota-Manatee community home. I do not have children of my own, but family, education, and the well-being of future generations have always been important to me."

Education: Wasserman said in our questionnaire: "While working, I attended law school at night and earned my Juris Doctor from St. John's University School of Law. Prior to commencing my public-school career, I earned a Ph.D. in Clinical/School Psychology at Hofstra University."

Party: Democrat

Filing: Wasserman filed for the race on June 3, 2026, and qualified on June 9, 2026, by paying the qualifying fee, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Finances: Wasserman loaned his campaign $60,000, putting his campaign treasury at nearly $61,700 as of July 11, 2026, according to the Venice Gondolier. He reported a net worth of $2.8 million as of May 7, 2026, per his public financial disclosure filing, according to the Suncoast Searchlight.

Experience and public service

Wasserman described his background in our questionnaire: "I am an attorney and educator whose career has crossed law, public education, public policy, and administration. I practiced law for more than 30 years, with work involving public education, labor and management issues, disability rights, civil rights, and constitutional law."

He said: "Earlier in my career, I served as an assistant superintendent in a public school district serving more than 10,000 students. My responsibilities included finance and business operations, personnel, labor relations, and special programs."

Wasserman said he later "joined the University of Texas faculty, where I taught graduate courses including constitutional law, public policy, educational leadership, and civil liberties."

On elected office, he said in our questionnaire: "I have not previously held elected public office. I have been active in Democratic Party leadership in Manatee County, including serving as Acting Chair of the Manatee County Democratic Committee and as a member of the Manatee County Democratic Executive Committee."

On the issues

Home rule and local control: Wasserman said in a Manatee Chamber of Commerce questionnaire that he supports returning home rule to the Sarasota-Manatee community. He said he opposes state preemption, including laws like the Florida Live Local Act and measures like SB 180 that block counties from passing tougher land-use and wetland protections.

Property insurance: Wasserman said in his Manatee Chamber questionnaire that he supports stabilizing the property insurance market by hardening homes against storm damage, strengthening building codes with state-funded mitigation retrofits, and reducing reinsurance costs through a public catastrophe layer.

Infrastructure: His priorities include levying local impact fees requiring developers to pay for roads and schools their projects demand, expanding multi-modal transit and modernizing wastewater management, according to his Manatee Chamber questionnaire responses.

Differences from opponents: Asked about critical differences in the race, Wasserman said in our questionnaire: "James Buchanan has spent eight years in the Florida House supporting the direction Tallahassee has taken our state. He has backed legislation restricting the citizen-initiative process, preempting local governments, weakening local worker protections, and shifting decision-making away from our communities."