Last week, state Sen. Joe Albritton, R-Bartow, wrapped up enough support in the Republican caucus to be the president of the Florida Senate after the 2024 elections, provided the GOP keeps its majority in the chamber
As first reported by Florida Politics, Albritton defeated state Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah Gardens, to win the presidency.
“It’s a real honor and privilege for me to have earned the support of my colleagues in the Senate,” Albritton said in a statement to Florida Politics. “Sen. Manny Diaz is a valued colleague and a friend, who puts people above politics. We share a vision for the future of Florida, and we’ll work together in the years ahead to advance policies that are in the best interest of the state of Florida.
“We have two strong conservative leaders in our chamber — Senate President Wilton Simpson and Sen. Kathleen Passidomo — and I’m going to do everything I can to support them, our priorities and our colleagues,” he added.
Assuming the Republicans keep control of the chamber, Simpson, the current Senate president, will hand over the gavel to Passidomo after the 2022 elections.
An agribusiness owner who led the Florida Citrus Commission and the Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association, Albritton is a familiar figure in Tallahassee. First elected to the Florida House in 2010, Albritton served four terms before being elected to the state Senate in 2018.
Albritton currently represents DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands and Okeechobee Counties and parts of Charlotte, Lee and Polk Counties.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com
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