Health care executive enters Florida House race

SARASOTA — About a week after State Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, announced he would enter the crowded race for State Senate, Sarasota health care executive Alex Miller announced she will file to run as the Republican candidate to replace him in the Florida House.

“I'm not a politician. Like you, I am concerned for the future and believe we can build a better Florida,” Miller, vice chairwoman of the Sarasota County Hospital board and CEO of Mercedes Medical, says in a news release. “I will bring a unique perspective to the Florida House.”

The 22-year Sarasota resident aims to represent District 72, which encompasses much of the north portion of Sarasota County, including Siesta Key. Miller will likely face Democrat Edward James III for the seat.

“I know what it takes to build a business,” Miller says in the release. “I know how to manage a budget and meet a payroll. I have the skills to help our area create a bright future for us and all of our children.”

Mercedes Medical is a niche medical supply firm that has grown steadily over the last decade. For more on Miller's business career, see her profile in the 2014 Business Observer's Women in Business issue.

Miller is also active in the local philanthropic community, including involvement with the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation and the Humane Society of Sarasota.