First-time candidate Steve Shives vies for District 27 Florida House seat

Republican Steve Shives is running for the District 27 seat of the Florida House of Representatives [Supplied].

Editor’s Note: The cutline on the booking photo added to this story in the a.m. of 6/26 has been corrected from served 30 days to sentenced to 30 days jail or $465 in fines. The error was by the editor, not the author of the article.  

Political newcomer Steve Shives will face two opponents in the Aug. 20 Republican primary election, with the winner moving on to challenge Democrat Andy Ferrari in November for the Florida House District 27 seat.

The uncle of District 24 State Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, Shives seeks to hold office for the first time and said his lack of political experience would be a benefit to those he hopes to represent. He prides himself on being a “regular guy,” as touted on his campaign signs and T-shirts, rather than a career politician.

If elected, Shives said he “will wage war on the woke left extremism” by supporting Second Amendment rights, parental rights in families, supporting religious freedom, lowering inflation and insurance rates.

Shives, 58, grew up in Marion County and attended North Marion High School. From 1996 to 2007, he lived in South Carolina where he served as the pastor of Lighthouse Christian Ministries. Shives is now the owner of Runaway Mini-Campers in Summerfield, an endeavor founded in 2012 by him and his father-in-law Robert Lane.

What began as a backyard business started with $10,000 has grown into a multimillion-dollar business, Shives said, as Runaway Campers was expanded into a network of camper dealers in Florida, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Arizona.

A businessman himself, Shives said protecting small-business owners is one of his biggest motivations for running for office.

“A big reason for me to run is to fight for the American dream, to keep our country free and to help legislation in regard to business regulations that helps small businesses across the state,” he said.

Shives also seeks to protect his constituents’ Second Amendment rights, promote gun safety and legal ownership.

“I don’t just like my guns, I love the freedom that we have to have as much firepower as we need to defend myself, my family and my friends against any enemy that poses a threat,” Shives said in a campaign video.

State House District 27 encompasses parts of Marion, Lake and Volusia counties. The seat has been occupied since 2016 by Republican Stan McClain, who has reached his term limit.

Shives is opposed by Richard Gentry and Beckie Sirolli in the GOP primary election. The winner will take on Ferrari and Libertarian Party candidate Dennis Simpson in the Nov. 5 general election.

Members of the Florida House of Representatives earn a starting salary of $29,697 a year, with the potential for annual increases.

Shives’ nephew Chamberlin, who is running for reelection in the neighboring District 24, endorsed Shives on June 3, but the pair made no mention of the familial relationship.

“I would hope that it’s a plus,” Shives said. “We’re two separate people. We have completely different perspectives on a lot of things, so I think the two of us are probably going to bring a different balance to decision making.”

He likened the political and familial relationship to that of former State Rep. Charlie Stone and his wife, Michelle Stone, a Marion County commissioner, both of whom served in office at the same time. Unlike the Stones, however, Shives and Chamberlin would be serving in the same governmental body and voting on the same items.

“(Chamberlin’s) experiences and everything have been completely different from mine, as far as work-related backgrounds,” Shives said. “His perspective is going to be a little different in the way he sees things just because of a decade of different experiences.”

Shives’ campaign has been financially supported by the Friends of Ryan Chamberlin political action committee, in addition to Chamberlin’s relatives Eitan Chamberlin and Roxene Chamberlin.

He has also received donations from the FTBA Transportation PAC and the CAR PAC. The CAR PAC is a committee affiliated with the Florida Automobile Dealers Association.

Shives has reported over $150,000 in campaign contributions, $127,000 of which he put up himself. “The loans to my campaign account come directly from my own funds,” he said.

In May 2023, Shives loaned $52,000 to his campaign. In the October through December filing period, he loaned himself another $75,000.

In Shives’ financial disclosure form, he listed his net worth as over $11 million, with Runaway Campers valued at $8.1 million. In 2023, he made $72,000 in income from S&S Enterprises, the name in which he operates under for Runaway Campers, in addition to $14,582 from Charles Schwab Investments and $2,675 in interest from Wells Fargo Bank Savings.

Shives claims nearly $1.3 million in assets for eight parcels of land; $577,875 in assets in household, business, savings and checking accounts; over $301,876 in stock assets; and the $8.1 million-dollar business of Runaway Campers. He listed no financial liabilities.

Shives attributed the success of his business to his ability to contribute such a large amount of money to his run for the State House of Representatives. “I own a multimillion-dollar company,” he said, when asked how he acquired the funds.

While Shives has been working under the name of ‘Runaway’ since the business’ founding in 2012, the business has only officially been a corporation since January 2024. The company being made a corporation was timed strategically while Shives ran his campaign, to expand the leadership of the company in the event that he is elected to the Florida House.

“With running for office, we’ve actually worked over the last several years to transition things so that my grown children can run the business,” Shives said. “That’s not something that they can do with a sole proprietorship.”

Through Shives’ business, he employs 12 to 15 people depending on the season. He manages the budget of the company, which averages from $4 million to $5 million annually, he said.

The “Gazette” gave Shives an opportunity to offer context to his criminal record, as he was arrested for petty larceny in 2007 while living in South Carolina.

After his vehicle broke down in York County, South Carolina, Shives took parts from a nearby car and left a note for its owner with his phone number saying he would pay them back. When the owner reached out to Shives and asked for $400 for the parts, Shives refused and was arrested on a charge of petty larceny, according to the York County Sherriff’s Office incident report. (Digital extra: incident report)

Shives was sentenced to 30 days in jail or to pay $465 in fines. Shives elected to pay the fines, according to the York County 16th Judicial Circuit Public Index.

York County mugshot of Stephen Shives. He was sentenced to 30 days jail or $465 in fines in 2007 for stealing parts from a vehicle.

“It was more of a misunderstanding than anything. The person chose to take it to court, and it was all resolved,” he said. “It was a disagreement between the two of us and he blew it out of proportion.”

During the course of his campaign, Shives said he has traveled across Marion, Lake and Volusia counties developing relationships with voters and local officials.

In addition to the endorsement from Chamberlin, Shives has received endorsements from Lake County Commissioner Josh Blake, Debary City Councilmember William Sell, and Volusia County School Board candidate Kim Short. He has also been endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, Bikers for Trump and Conservative Watch USA.

“Now, more than ever, we must join together as a state and nation to fight for our conservative values and the re-election of President Donald Trump,” said Shives on Facebook when announcing the endorsement from Bikers for Trump.

Shives said he is traveling around the district introducing himself to voters.

“I’m telling (the voters) I’m just a regular guy,” Shives said. “I’m not going to Tallahassee to do favors for my friends. I’m going to Tallahassee to represent the common people of Florida.”