Gail Gottlieb, Neighbor

Gail Gottlieb, the Democratic Party's candidate for Florida’s 59^th State House district, has nearly 25 years of experience in public policy, advocacy, and public service in Florida, Washington, DC, and in the Peace Corps’ Small Business Development program. An attorney who was raised in Brandon, she approaches projects with an energetic, can-do attitude, evaluates issues and problems with a keen analytical mind, and cares deeply about the happiness and success of people in her life, community, and country. As a candidate, she is committed to building a stronger and fairer economy for all Americans, improving standards and outcomes in K-12 and higher education, and promoting higher ethical standards in Florida’s state government.

Ms. Gottlieb has demonstrated these qualities in her advocacy on behalf of Florida farm workers, school teachers, college faculty members, and other working Americans, as well as in her human-rights work to eliminate child labor, and her policy and educational work to reduce federal budget deficits. Her wide-ranging professional experience has included responsible positions with organizations ranging from the American Association of University Professors, the National Farm Worker Ministry, and the National Treasury Employees Union to Boat People SOS, a provider of legal and case-management services for victims of labor and sexual exploitation, and the Washington office of Public Agenda, an nonpartisan public policy institute. In Hillsborough County, she has organized many recent public forums on issues such as offshore drilling, transportation, redistricting, and the privatization of state functions.

The daughter of a career Air Force Master Sergeant and a Hillsborough County public school teacher, Ms. Gottlieb received her B.A. in psychology from Boston College and her J.D. from the Washington College of Law at The American University. A strong believer in the need to strengthen America’s families, she is married to Andrew Yarrow, a senior fellow at the Institute for American Values, and has devoted several years to caring for her elderly mother.

She looks forward to representing District 59 annd the communities of Brandon, Riverview, Valrico, and Progress Village in the Florida State House.