Staff Reports
In the latest sign that the Senate District 5 seat will not be leaving the Bradley family, Sen. Bill Galvano endorsed on Thursday Jennifer Bradley.
Jennifer Bradley, the wife of incumbent Sen. Rob Bradley, appears to be the prohibitive favorite to take over her husband’s current seat.
“Jennifer is a dear friend, a wonderful mother, a champion for her community and an inspiring small business owner and I am proud to endorse her campaign for Senate,” Galvano said.
“Voices like Jennifer’s are needed in Tallahassee and I have no doubt Jennifer will serve as an advocate for not just her community, but for hardworking families across Florida.”
“As I begin this conversation with the hardworking people of North Florida, I am grateful for President Galvano’s support,” said Bradley. “I understand the challenges and opportunities facing the rural, coastal and growth areas are unique to this historically diverse part of our state.”
The Galvano endorsement is just the latest sign of Mrs. Bradley’s inevitability.
Among the initial volley of nods was state Rep. Travis Cummings, who was long expected to run for SD 5 after Rob Bradley terms out in 2020.
The Clay County Republican’s decision to return to private life rather than run for Senate was first reported in Sunburn last week.
Also backing Bradley: Republican Sens. Wilton Simpson, Kathleen Passidomo and Travis Hutson.
Simpson is in line to take over as Senate President after the 2020 elections while Passidomo and Hutson are the top contenders to take the gavel beginning in 2022.
SD 5 covers a broad swath of North Florida, including the whole of Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee and Union counties as well as a piece of western Marion County.
The district has a definite GOP advantage — according to the most recent statistics from the Florida Division of Elections, about 51 percent of the district’s voters are registered Republicans while about 29 percent are registered Democrats.
In 2016, the last time the seat was on the ballot, Bradley didn’t face a challenger. That cycle also saw the district go for President Donald Trump at the top of the ticket by a 3-to-1 margin.
