Florida State President Sen. Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) has officially announced that he will seek to become the state’s next commissioner of Agriculture. The cabinet post is being vacated by Nikki Fried who announced in June that she will challenge Gov Ron DeSantis to become Florida’s next Governor.
Initially elected to the Florida Legislature in 2021, Simpson currently serves as President of the state’s senate. He will term out in 2022.
In May, former President Donald Trump announced that he would back him for the post, but Simpson declined to officially commit to his candidacy at that time.
On Sept. 4 Simpson officially filed as a candidate for the Agriculture post on the 2022 ballot according to his spokesperson Erin Isaac.
In a written statement, Isaac said that for too long politicians have long told voters to vote for them and settle for less.
“They say it’s either low taxes or great schools, either family farms or clean water, either Florida’s consumers or Florida’s businesses,” Isaac’s said in the statement. “President Simpson believes Floridians can have all of these things and remains focused on fighting for them in Tallahassee during this critical time.”
Simpson is challenged in the race by Republicans Richard Olle Jr and James Shaw and Democrat Ryan Morales.
