Peter Schorsch
Is Wilton Simpson for CFO a byproduct of this fall’s Senate map redraw?
After the news that the Senate maps must be redrawn to comply with the Florida Constitution, many political futures have been put in flux. The Jack Latvala vs. Joe Negron Senate president’s race and the future of Pinellas district lines are tops among the whispers of political observers until the October session unveils the final maps.
But now there is increasing chatter that Simpson, a name often mentioned for a future Senate President’s slot, is being encouraged to direct his focus toward a 2018 run for state chief financial officer.
Under the current district maps and numbering system, Simpson could serve in the Senate until 2022 and, as reported here and in POLITICO, Simpson is way ahead in getting pledges for a 2021-2022 presidency.
The uncertainty of what may come out of October’s redistricting effort, though, has led a number of top Florida donors to approach Simpson about a statewide race, and most interest is directed to the 2018 election for CFO after Jeff Atwater leaves office because of term limits.
Simpson, the Senate’s second wealthiest member, is said to have signaled a willingness to spend as much as $3 million of his own money towards a statewide run. He is also a big donor and bundler for Jeb Bush and recently joined a “who’s who” of Floridians at the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. That gathering is where serious discussion about a CFO bid began — and the talk has only grown now that Senate maps are in question.
More proof that the redistricting lawsuits continue to have dominoes falling all across the state.
