Robert Haughn
The Florida Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is endorsing Republican Sen. Bryan Ávila for his re-election campaign in Senate District 39.
The FOP is an organization representing law enforcement, with over 23,000 members in Florida. They are endorsing Ávila, who is running for his second term representing SD 39.
The FOP named Ávila their legislator of the year for 2023. Recently, Ávila has pushed for legislation regarding protection for police enforcement. This includes a bill (SB 184) which prohibits people from approaching law enforcement while conducting legal duties, in an effort with other legislators to create harassment-free zones for first responders. The bill was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
“I am incredibly proud to have earned the support of the Fraternal Order of Police,” Ávila said in a statement. “I will always be a voice for our state’s law enforcement officers in the Florida Senate.”
The endorsement comes after Ávila received endorsements from Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and other Senate leaders, as well as the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
Ávila is running for his second term in the district. He ran unopposed during his campaign in 2022. This year, he faces no GOP opposition, but will now face Democratic candidate Charles A. Lewis.
While there was no General Election for the seat in 2022, SD 39 still shows Republican leaning in recent years. Both DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio both won the areas by 40 percentage points in 2022, showing a Republican advantage in the district for Ávila.
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Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
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