Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
The Florida Chamber of Commerce has thrown its support behind 79 candidates ahead of the general election.
“We believe these candidates will put Florida’s long-term future ahead of short-term fixes and will help ensure our state remains competitive,” said Marian Johnson, senior vice president of political operations for the Florida Chamber. “We are proud to support these candidates that we believe will help create jobs and economic opportunity in our state.”
The Florida Chamber backed 88 candidates ahead of the Aug. 30 primary, and saw victories in 76 of those races. Several of those candidates were incumbents, while others were involved in uncontested primaries.
The Chamber saw successes in several state Senate primaries, but fell short in a few House races. However, Chamber officials said their investments in the primary paid off, despite a few losses.
The endorsements this cycle include Keith Perry in Senate District 8, Dean Asher in Senate District 13, Peter Vivaldi in Senate District 15, and Dana Young in Senate District 18. The Chamber also endorsed several incumbents Bill Montford, Joe Negron, Jack Latvala, and Lizbeth Benacquisto.
General election endorsements in the Florida House include Frank White in House District 2, Jayer Williamson in House District 3, Randy Fine in House District 53, Ben Diamond in House District 68, and David Rivera in House District 118. The Chamber also through its support behind several incumbents, including Jay Fant, Blaise Ingoglia, Chris Sprowls, Chris Latvala, and Holly Raschein.
A full list of the Florida Chamber’s general election endorsements can be found on the organization’s website.
