Danny McAuliffe
State Sen. Denise Grimsley received endorsements from five more Florida sheriffs on Monday, bringing the total amount of law enforcement authorities who’ve backed her quest for Agriculture Commissioner to 27.
In a news release announcing the endorsements, Grimsley, of Sebring, tied one of the many responsibilities of Agriculture Commissioner to working with local authorities.
“If elected to be our state’s next Chief Consumer Advocate, I pledge to work with various entities and agencies to help fight fraud and protect Floridians from criminal predators and scam artists,” Grimsley said in a prepared statement.
The latest batch of supporters includes DeSoto County Sheriff James Potter, Jefferson County Sheriff Mac McNeill, Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods and Suwannee County Sheriff Sam St. John.
“Sheriffs have a strong ally in Denise Grimsley and that’s why I’m proud to announce my support for her campaign to become our next Agriculture Commissioner,” said Sheriff Woods of Marion. “I have no doubt in her ability to get the job done.”
Vying alongside Grimsley for the Republican nod for Agriculture Commissioner are Lehigh Acres state Rep. Matt Caldwell, former state Rep. Baxter Troutman and Mike McCalister.
In similar fashion to Grimsley, Caldwell’s been rolling out endorsements in waves. He’s backed by local politicians and authorities across the state and has the support of the Florida Police Benevolent Association.
Troutman has focused heavily on advertising his campaign. He’s aired two statewide television ads, the second of which debuted last week.
As of May, reports Drew Wilson of Florida Politics, Grimsley had raised just under $1.9 million. Caldwell had raised roughly $1.93 million through the same period, and Troutman had $2.8 million on hand — though most of it from self-contributions.
