With seven weeks to go until the Republican primary to replace term limited Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, on Wednesday, state Rep. Frank White, R-Pensacola, unveiled the support of more than a dozen legislators, including the next speaker of the Florida House.
White announced the endorsements of the state legislators with his campaign trumpeting them as “conservative leaders.” At the top of the list of endorsements is incoming state House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Hialeah, who is scheduled to take over the gavel from outgoing Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Lutz, after the November elections. This marks the second endorsement Oliva has made in statewide Republican primaries in recent weeks as he threw his support behind U.S. Rep. Ron DeSanits, R-Fla., at the end of last month.
White also reeled in the support of state Sen. Doug Broxson, R-Pensacola. Besides Oliva, other House Republicans who endorsed White on Wednesday include state Reps. Bryan Avila of Hialeah, Chuck Clemons of Jonesville, Bob Cortes of Altamonte Springs, Byron Donalds of Naples, Jason Fischer of Jacksonville, Tom Leek of Daytona Beach, Stan McClain of Ocala, Bobby Payne of Palatka, Rene Plascencia of Titusville, Elizabeth Porter of Lake City, Bob Rommel of Naples and Clay Yarborough of Jacksonville. Former state Rep. Jose Felix ‘Pepi’ Diaz, who lost a special election for an open state Senate seat last year, also backed White.
Earlier on Wednesday, state Rep. Ross Spano, R-Riverview, who had been running in the primary but pulled out in April to run for Congress, backed former Judge Ashley Moody.
Moody and White will compete in the Republican primary at the end of next month. In the Democratic primary, state Rep. Sean Shaw, D-Tampa, faces Central Attorney Ryan Torrens.
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