After high school, Stansel joined the Florida National Guard, where he served for 10 years.

After taking over the operation of the farm that was started in the 1880s in Wellborn, by his grandparents, John Vincent Stansel, and Kate Geneva (Stevens) Stansel, Dwight grew the farm into a very profitable business growing pine trees, tobacco, and peanuts, and raising chickens.

Dwight Stansel was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, District 11 seat on November 3, 1998.

[1] When he took office in 1998, his District included the following counties: Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and parts of Dixie and Gilchrist.

In 2003, the area his district covered was then changed to include the following counties: Gilchrist, Lafayette, Suwannee, and parts of Alachua, Columbia, and Dixie.