In 2000, incumbent Republican State Representative
Charlie Sembler was term-limited and could not seek re-election. Poppell ran to succeed him in the 80th District, which included parts of
Indian River and
St. Lucie counties. He narrowly lost the primary, receiving 24 percent of the vote to Carole Jordan's 27 percent and
Stan Mayfield's 26 percent, who both proceeded to a runoff election. Poppell ran for the State House again in 2002, when State Representative
Randy Ball, a Republican, was term-limited in District 29, which included parts of southern
Brevard County and northern
Indian River County. Poppell ran to succeed him in the 29th District. He won the Republican primary over retired teacher Pat Harrison and real estate agent Billy Nelson, receiving 45 percent of the vote to Harrison's 32 percent and Nelson's 22 percent. In the general election, he faced nonprofit executive Chris Stagman, the Democratic nominee, and contractor Craig Chamberlin, the Libertarian nominee. Poppell won by a wide margin, receiving 54 percent of the vote to Stagman's 42 percent and Chamberlin's 3 percent. Poppell was re-elected unopposed in 2004 and 2006. In 2008, Poppell was challenged by Democrat Wes McCarville, a
United States Army veteran and
University of Central Florida student who served as Vice Chair of the Brevard County Democratic Executive Committee. Poppell defeated McCarville in a landslide, receiving 59 percent of the vote. Poppell was term-limited in 2010 and was succeeded by Republican
Tom Goodson in the State House. ==References==