Eric Gray advocates for those who need an advocate.
He is the executive director of the Christian Service Center for the Homeless, which works to assemble services and resources to give a hand up for the needy and whatever else can be done to eliminate homelessness and poverty.
When the state of Florida put in the enforcement piece to House Bill 1365, which criminalized sleeping on sidewalks, in parks, on beaches or in other public spaces—forming one of the strictest measures regulating those experiencing homelessness—and made it possible this year for the homeless to be arrested and for local governments to be sued for allowing public homeless camping, Gray said he knew he had to “do something.”
Thus, the Democrat has filed to run for the State Legislature in District 35, located in both Osceola and Orange County. Republican Erika Booth holds that seat and is also running for re-election.
“With what’s going on in Tallahassee and Washington, me and my family decided that we can’t afford to not get involved,” he said. “2025 has been a tremendous challenge. The Supreme Court allowed for these laws to be enforced, despite the 8th Amendment (which prohibits excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments). It demonizes a class of people.”
Gray, who turns 50 in November, said he wants to do what he can to end such unfunded mandates from Tallahassee.
“Homelessness has become like AIDS in the 1980s,” Gray said. “We refuse to fund shelters. When we’re talking about thousands (of people in one area), it’s a domestic refugee problem.
“Service industry workers are getting fired when employers discover they’re homeless. I hear their stories daily.”
He said that, with the country transitioning from the pandemic and the recovery funds drying up, it’s taking away the help that the underemployed has needed to maintain their housing.
“HUD faced a 44 percent cut in the most recent budget, and it’s in support of housing,” he said. “In Orange, Seminole and Osceola County, there’s about 1,600 disabled, vulnerable people in danger of being homeless on Nov. 1.
Gray is looking to be the fourth representative of District 35, which includes essentially everything east and south of St. Cloud in Osceola County and eastern parts of Orange like Wedgefield, Avalon Park, Bithlo and Christmas. It was formed in 2022; Fred Hawkins won the seat but left a year later to become South Florida State College’s president. Democrat Tom Keen won a January 2024 special election, then lost the 2024 regular election to Booth. Booth, running for reelection, and Gray are the only candidates who have filed to run in 2026 thus far.
