About Ron

Early Life

Ron Stump was born in Orlando, FL on December 16, 1970.  His father, Ron Stump Sr., was in the Air Force and had just returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam the previous year and married his high school sweetheart, Nicole Pellerin.  Together, the new family spent the next 17 years moving from one duty station to another including stays in Wiesbaden, Germany; Omaha Nebraska; Homestead, FL and finally Panama City, FL where Ron Stump Sr. retired from the Air Force with an honorable discharge after 20 years of service.

After graduating from high school in Panama City in 1989, Ron left for New York to attend college at Syracuse University where he was elected to the Student Government and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.  After college, Ron moved to Washington, D.C. where he spent the next four years working as a paralegal for a law firm specializing in International Aviation Law.  During his time in Washington, D.C., Ron gained a great deal of experience and insight into the workings of government.

Legal Career

Seeking to build on his experiences in Washington, D.C., in 1997 Ron decided to go to law school and headed west to attend the University of Denver.  While in law school, Ron focused on the areas of criminal law and trial advocacy.  He was a member of the Moot Court Board and Articles Editor for the International Law Journal.  Upon graduation from law school, Ron practiced briefly in Denver before moving back to Florida.

After taking and passing the Florida Bar Exam, Ron moved to Palm Bay and began looking for a job where he could really make a difference and help the community.  He found that job at the State Attorney's Office.  During his time as a prosecutor for the State Attorney's Office, Ron has handled hundreds of Misdemeanor and Felony cases and taken over a dozen cases to trial.  As an Assistant State Attorney, Ron has fought to put criminals behind bars and sought restitution for the victims of their crimes. 

Military Service

While still in high school, Ron enlisted in the Army National Guard and during law school served with the 5/19^th Special Forces Group (Airborne).  While there he attended Officer Candidate School and upon his commissioning as a 2^nd Lieutenant, chose the infantry as his branch and was sent to the Infantry Officer Basic Course (IOBC) at Ft. Benning, GA.  After graduating from IOBC in December 2003, Ron transferred to the Florida Army National Guard and served as a Rifle Platoon Leader with Bravo Company 2/124^th INF in Sanford, FL. 

During the 2004 hurricane season, Ron’s unit was activated by Governor Jeb Bush and served almost continuously from August to October 2004.  As hurricane after hurricane hit Florida, Ron and his unit were sent all over the state to help people and communities ravaged by the hurricanes.  In Orlando, Port Charlotte, Pensacola and twice right here in Brevard County, Ron and his unit set up and ran water distribution sites, cleared roads of debris, conducted traffic at intersections, guarded bridges and conducted patrols in neighborhoods and business areas to prevent looting.  Helping people all over the state recover from the hurricanes and get back on their feet was an incredibly rich and rewarding experience.  It was amazing to see how quickly Floridians bounced back from adversity and moved on to rebuild their lives and communities.

In March 2005, Ron was called up along with over 1,000 other soldiers of the Florida Army National Guard to serve in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  After three months of training at Camp Shelby, MS, Ron deployed to Afghanistan with Florida’s 53^rd Infantry Brigade in June 2005 and was stationed at Camp Phoenix, just outside of Kabul.  Although still only a lieutenant, Ron was put in the position of Battle Captain.  While his primary duties as Battle Captain involved working out of the Joint Operations Center at Camp Phoenix, Ron was also sent on missions around the country.  While on a mission to escort Afghan National Army (ANA) and French troops out of the area around Kajaki Dam in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, Ron, and the unit he was attached to, was involved in one of the largest combat actions since the fall of the Taliban.  Ron’s unit was ambushed in the village of Kajaki, and in fighting which took place over a two-day period, they inflicted a significant number of casualties on the Taliban.  Unfortunately, a large number of U.S., French and Afghan soldiers were also killed and wounded in the fighting.  Upon returning to the U.S., Ron served as Delta Company’s Executive Officer, a position he held until he left the Army and was honorably discharged in February 2007.

Community Involvement

When his tour of duty in Afghanistan was finished, Ron returned to Brevard County, went back to work at the State Attorney's Office and once again got involved in the community.  Ron is a parishioner at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, a member of VFW Post 4206, and a member of the Brevard County Bar Association.  He is also a member of the American Legion and Knights of Columbus.

From the deserts of Afghanistan to the courtrooms of Brevard County, Ron has fought for and served the people of the United States and the State of Florida.  With your support he will continue to serve the citizens of Brevard County as their representative in Tallahassee.