By: The News Service of Florida
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, a Trilby Republican who drew speculation over running for governor, opened a campaign account to seek re-election to the Cabinet office on Monday.
Simpson, a former state Senate president, is the third Republican to open a campaign account with the Division of Elections. The qualifying period isn’t until the week of June 8. The cost to qualify with a party label is $8,399.28.
Other Republicans to open accounts are Richard Early Olle Jr. of Valrico and Matt The Welder of Plant City.
Simpson owns a farming enterprise and last year reported a net worth of $19.78 million. He won the office in 2022, defeating Naomi Esther Blemur by 18.6 percentage points.
He is the only current member of the Cabinet to have won in the 2022 cycle.
The chief financial officer office was won by Jimmy Patronis, who was elected to Congress last year and former state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia was moved into the office by Gov. Ron DeSantis. U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody won the attorney general contest. She would exit the office when Marco Rubio became President Donald Trump’s secretary of state. DeSantis made his chief of staff James Uthmeier the state’s attorney general.
Moody qualified last week to run for the federal office.
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