Carey Baker (born March 16, 1963) 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 to 2004 and served as the State Senator for the 20th District of the Florida Senate from 2004 to 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.
Early life, education, and personal life
Baker was born and raised in Eustis. He is the son of former State Representative Leighton Baker. Baker's family has owned the A.W. Peterson Gun Shop since 1952. When Baker was 18 years old, he joined the family business and still operates it today. Baker graduated from Tavares High School and attended Lake–Sumter Community College.
Baker resides with his wife, Lori, and their three children in Eustis.
Military service
Baker joined the Florida Army National Guard while still in high school.
In 2003, while a member of the Florida House of Representatives, Baker was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Baker served as First Sergeant of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, which was assigned to protect a logistic base near Balad. The area, north of Baghdad, is located in the Sunni Triangle, one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq. During his deployment, Baker faced numerous close calls: in one instance, a mortar round hit a bus full of soldiers. The base Baker was stationed at was under constant attack by mortar fire and rocket fire. On his last day of deployment, a missile landed in the camp but did not explode.
He was the first state or federal elected official to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom while also holding elected office. Baker's colleagues in the House tied a yellow ribbon around his chair on the House floor, which remained in place until he returned. In 2004, the Florida Legislature unanimously passed House Bill 1757, the Carey Baker Freedom Flag Act. This act amended Florida law to require that every classroom in any public K-20 educational institution must display the American flag on a daily basis. The flag must be made in the United States and must be properly displayed in accordance with United States Code. The law mandated that the required flags be displayed in each classroom no later than August 1, 2005.
In 2007, Baker was part of a thirteen-member team of Florida Army National Guardsmen sent to train soldiers from former Soviet Union satellite countries.
During his military career, Baker graduated from numerous military courses and schools, including the U.S. Army Jungle Operation School and the U.S. Army Pathfinder School. He retired in 2013, after serving over thirty-one years and attaining the rank of First Sergeant.
Awards and decorations
Political career
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).