Drew Wilson
The Indian River County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics are backing Republican Lange Sykes in House District 54, the businessman’s campaign announced Tuesday.
“We are proud to support Lange Sykes for the Florida House,” said John O’Connor, President of International Association of Firefighters Local 2201. “He puts a high premium on public safety, and we know we can trust him to provide the kind of leadership our area needs in Tallahassee.”
Sykes, who trails only fellow Republican Erin Grall in the four-way GOP primary, said he was “honored” to receive an endorsement from the first responders group.
“Our first responders are a vital part of our community, and our area is blessed to have professionals like them that we know we can depend on,” Sykes said. “I look forward to working with them to make sure that public safety remains a top priority in Tallahassee.”
Through April Sykes had a little over $162,000 in his campaign account, putting him just behind Grall, who had a little over $163,000. The other two Republicans running for the seat, Dale Glading and George Mackay, finished last month with around $14,000 and $3,000, respectively.
HD 54 covers Indian River County and the northern part of St. Lucie County and carries a large advantage for Republicans. According to voter registration statistics from 2014, Republicans make up 44 percent of the HD 54 electorate compared to a 29 percent share for Democrats.
