Wilton Simpson wins Republican primary for Florida agriculture commissioner

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson on Tuesday won the Republican primary for Florida agriculture commissioner, defeating James Shaw.

Simpson was backed by former President Donald Trump, Republican leaders and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

After his victory, Simpson released a statement, saying he’s grateful.

“Tonight’s victory marks the beginning of an important conversation with Floridians from the Panhandle to the Keys, Jacksonville to Fort Myers and Palm Beach to Gainesville, and everywhere in between. I am grateful to the growing coalition of hardworking families, resilient business owners, trusted law enforcement officers, and of course, the Sunshine State’s dedicated farmers who have put their faith in me and our shared vision of Florida’s future.

“For the next 77 days, we will build on that momentum to draw a clear contrast between the common sense conservatism that has made the free state of Florida a model for the nation, and our opponent’s allegiance to the failed socialist policies of Washington Democrats that are undermining access to the American Dream for all Floridians. While our opponent is a voice for Joe Biden and the liberal zoom-class that rode out the pandemic working from home in their pajamas, I am honored to be a voice for the blue collar working men and women of this state who never took a day off during the pandemic and who are trying their best to get by amid record-high gas prices and inflation that many of us have not seen in our lifetime.

“As we look ahead to the future of our great state, I am confident we can ensure a safe, abundant and affordable food supply AND responsibly conserve our precious natural resources for future generations. We can fiercely protect consumers AND safeguard small businesses from big government red tape that kills jobs, suffocates entrepreneurship and drives up costs for everyone. We can welcome new commerce and innovation, while at the same time respecting the legacy, family-run businesses that have been the backbone of our state for generations. We can do all of these things and more, but we must continue to respect the dignity of work and put our faith in the extraordinary ingenuity of Floridians across the state.”

Simpson will now face the winner of the Democratic race between Naomi Blemur, Ryan Morales and J.R. Gaillot.

With Nikki Fried running to be Florida governor, the Florida commissioner of agriculture seat is open for a new occupant.

On the Republican side, two candidates are running for the seat – James Shaw and Wilton Simpson.

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Shaw is a compost farmer and real estate investor who has earned the support of hard-right conservatives in the state.

Wilton Simpson is the Florida Senate president and egg farmer who has earned the support of former President Donald Trump, Republican leaders and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

The commissioner of agriculture is about more than farms. As the head of the Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the commissioner oversees a department as varied as citrus crops, medical marijuana, school lunch programs, price gouging complaints, gas pump inspection, firearm licenses and theme park ride inspection.

Because Florida is a closed-primary state, only Republicans can vote in this primary. There will also be a primary for Democrats, and you can see those candidates HERE. Learn more about what that means for the rest of the election on Aug. 23 HERE.

The winner in this primary will face the winner of the Democratic primary in the November general election, which is open to all voters.

Here’s a closer look at the Republican candidates for Florida commissioner of agriculture.

James Shaw

Website | Facebook

James Shaw stands for three things, according to his website:

“Good Food, Good Water, Good Guns.”

Shaw managed trucking transportation facilities in Tennessee and Pennsylvania before becoming a composting farmer in Florida. He’s also a real estate investor.

He sees food availability and fuel availability as the most important needs right now, and protecting the environment is part of that. He believes the state needs to “let farmers farm.”

Wilton Simpson

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Wilton Simpson of Trilby runs a large-scale egg operation. There’s a good chance the eggs in your refrigerator came from his farm.

Simpson burnished his conservative bona fides in the Florida Legislature, first in the Florida Senate, where he was first elected in 2012, and then as senate president.

Simpson supported the controversial net metering bill in the Florida Senate this past year, which would have limited the growth of solar energy in the state. The bill was supported by Florida Power and Light. Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed that bill. DeSantis also vetoed a bill on Everglades restoration that Simpson supported that critics said was beneficial to the sugar industry. Simpson had sponsored the bill.

Still, Simpson has DeSantis’ endorsement, along with the endorsements of the rest of the Florida cabinet and many of the top conservative-supporting groups in the state.