Army veteran Lisette Bonano has filed to run against incumbent Florida House Democratic Leader Designate Rep. Fentrice Driskell for the 2022 state House District 63 race.

Bonano, a Republican, launched her run in hopes of unseating Driskell, a progressive Democrat, pushing for traditionally conservative platforms. "Together we gain ground for our liberty and freedom," Bonano's campaign site states, along with "Protect Our Children, Protect Our Freedom, Protect Our Communities."

The 62-year-old from New Tampa may be a newcomer to the political sphere, but she has strong roots in the military. Bonano's military career started in 1981 as an ROTC graduate, and was deployed to Iraq while on active duty and deployed to Afghanistan as a contractor. She retired as a U.S. Army LTC in January 2010.

Her father, five siblings and eldest son also represented the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps, strengthening her ties to the military.

Bonano also has a bachelor's in special education, a masters in international relations and an EdD in Educational Leadership.

Some of the key platforms Bonano aligned herself with include being against mask and vaccine mandates — a topic that has recently found its way to the state Legislature — as well as calling herself pro-religious freedom, pro-life, pro-parental rights and school choice and an overall constitutional conservative.

However, Bonano will likely face an uphill battle against Driskell, who has held the seat since 2018 after defeating then-incumbent Republican Shawn Harrison by 7 points. Driskell ran unopposed in 2020.

Driskell was also unanimously elected to lead House Democrats for the 2024-2026 term back in May. Driskell, a lawyer, would be the first Black woman to lead the Caucus.

The north Tampa district has a slight Democratic advantage, according to the most recently available data. The district has 41,247 registered Democrats, 32,935 registered Republicans and just over 32,500 non-affiliated or third-party candidates.

However, with redistricting on the horizon, the partisan makeup of the district could change, possibly providing Bosano a Republican advantage.