page_title: Carey Baker
section_title: Political career
hierarchical_section_title: Carey Baker / Political career
caption_attribution_description: English: Senator Carey Baker with Legislative Aide Mike Norris and Miami Heat Center Alonzo Mourning
context_page_description: Carey Baker is an American politician currently serving as the Property Appraiser for Lake County, Florida. He is a former Republican member of the Florida Legislature. Baker served as the State Representative for the 25th District of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000–2004 and served as the State Senator for the 20th District of the Florida Senate from 2004–2010.
  Baker is also the owner of the A.W. Peterson Gun Shop and a retired First Sergeant in the Florida Army National Guard. He was the first state or federal elected official to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom while also holding elected office.
context_section_description: In 2000, a record 83 incumbent state legislators were forced to retire due to term-limits added to the Florida Constitution by 77 percent of the voters in 1992. Included in this group was Representative Stan Bainter of Eustis, causing the House District 25 seat to be open for the first time since 1986. The 25th House District included southwest Marion County, east Lake County, northwest Seminole County and west Volusia County.
  Baker ran for the Republican nomination, defeating Betty Hensinger, a Lake County businesswoman, in the primary election. In the November general election, he defeated DeBary Democrat Rick Dwyer, a computer consultant, to secure election to the Florida House of Representatives. Baker was subsequently reelected to the House in 2002 without opposition. While serving in the Florida House of Representatives, Baker served as the Vice Chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee (2001–2002), Co-Chair of the Agriculture & Environment Appropriations Sub-Committee (2003–2004) and served on the Fiscal Policy and Resources Committee (2001–2002), Insurance Committee (2001–2002) and the Workforce and Technical Skills Committee (2001–2002).
  In 2004, Anna Cowin, the Leesburg Republican who held the 20th District State Senate Seat, announced that she would not seek re-election to her seat and instead would run for Lake County Superintendent of Schools. Baker announced his intention to run for the Senate seat and won the 2004 special election. He was re-elected to full terms in 2006 and 2008. The 20th Senate district includes parts of Marion, Sumter, Lake, Volusia and Seminole counties. While serving in the Florida Senate, he served as Chairman of the Senate Government Operations Committee and on the Senate Transportation Committee, Senate Agriculture Committee, and Senate General Government Appropriation Committee.
  In 2012, Baker narrowly defeated long-time incumbent Ed Havill for the position of Property Appraiser of Lake County, Florida, and ran unopposed in 2016. In 2014, Baker was elected president of the Florida Association of Property Appraisers.
caption: Baker with Legislative Aide Mike Norris and Miami Heat Center Alonzo Mourning
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