Jordan Hensley, a Democrat from Port Richey, is running for Florida State Senate District 21 in the Nov. 3 general election. The race is to fill the rest of an unexpired term. His opponent is Republican Christopher M. Nocco, according to BallotReady election data.

Asked in our candidate questionnaire why he is running, Hensley said: "When the current senator announced he was retiring early, my opponent announced that same day he was running for his seat. … When I realized that no one else had registered to run against the sheriff, I decided that this race was exactly the right one for me."

Candidate information

Party: Democratic

Residence: Port Richey, Florida

Family: "My wife Hannah and I live in Port Richey with our dog Chewie. I have two sisters who live in the Cincinnati area with their husbands and our eight nieces and nephews. My father lives in Kentucky, and my mother passed away a few years ago in New Port Richey. My in-laws live in Largo …," Hensley said in our questionnaire.

Education: "I have a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, with a minor in communications/media. I graduated from Mount Union College (now University of Mount Union) in my hometown of Alliance, Ohio, in 2008," Hensley said in our questionnaire.

Previous elected or appointed office: "None. I'm a first timer in the political landscape," Hensley said in our questionnaire.

Experience and public service

Asked about his work history, Hensley said in our questionnaire: "Currently I am a bartender at the historic Fenway Hotel in Dunedin. Before this, I was a bartender/ manager for Barfly Saltwater Grille in Safety Harbor. And prior to that I did the same at Smokey Bones in Clearwater. I've been in the service industry for almost 15 years, since before I moved to Florida in 2013 …."

Asked what accomplishments show he can handle the job, Hensley said in our questionnaire: "I think everyone has probably experienced the organized chaos that is a busy restaurant on a weekend night. Hundreds of people, multiple food orders, cocktails, checks, and running around making sure it's going as smoothly as it can. My abilities to multitask, prioritize, see a job through from beginning to end, know when to ask for help, and make sure that guests are satisfied at the end of their experience will all help me in ensuring that when I'm elected to represent the people of District 21, I will do my best to make sure that everyone is represented to the best of my abilities …."

On the issues

Asked how his service-industry background shapes his view of what District 21 families need, Hensley said in our questionnaire: "For over a decade I have talked to people in the district about what's going on in their lives. I have friends who have had to move out of their homes due to flooding, people who spent a year fighting against their insurance companies for repairs … coworkers who can't afford to go to the doctor's office. … I don't claim to know what everyone needs, nobody can be an expert in everything. But I will claim that I can relate to what a lot of my friends and neighbors are going through …."

Hensley's campaign website lists public schools, Medicaid expansion, living wages, property insurance reform, affordable housing, teacher pay, workers' right to organize and Gulf Coast environmental protection as key issues. Hensley also signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge, committing to support a constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of Congress, according to U.S. Term Limits.