Janelle Irwin Taylor
House Speaker Chris Sprowls is naming his preferred successor. Sprowls endorsed Adam Anderson in House District 65, he announced Monday.
Anderson, a local business owner, filed to run for the seat in 2022 on Thursday, with Sprowls facing term limits. He was the first Republican to throw his name in the hat.
“I’m proud to stand with Adam Anderson in his bid to represent North Pinellas in the Florida House. Adam is a conservative leader we can count on to stand up for our values, keep Florida moving in the right direction, and lead with courage and conviction,” Sprowls said. “We need leaders like Adam who will continue to be a champion for innovative and common-sense public policy that improves the lives of all Floridians.”
After working in wealth management for American Express Financial Advisors, later Ameriprise Financial, Anderson went on to found MRA Capital Partners, a boutique private equity real estate investment firm focused on providing the average investor access to high-quality real estate investments that have been traditionally reserved for only high net worth individuals.
Anderson started the company after growing frustrated with the high cost and poor performance of many readily available investment products his clients desired.
Both Sprowls and Anderson have personal experiences with battling major illnesses. Sprowls survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a child, while Anderson lost his son to a rare genetic disorder when AJ was just 4 years old.
Since then, Anderson and his family have been active in advancing research in rare diseases through the Cure Tay Sachs Foundation and their AJ Anderson Foundation. Anderson worked with Sprowls to create Tay Sachs Awareness Day in Florida on Aug. 10, Andrew’s birthday.
“The state of Florida and our North Pinellas community are a better place because of the service and leadership for Speaker Chris Sprowls. He is a champion for our conservative principles and is a dedicated public servant who has led our state through trying times. I’m proud to have earned his trust to fill the seat he’s represented with distinction over these past seven years,” Anderson said.
Sprowls is the second Pinellas County official to endorse Anderson. On Friday, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri also offered his support. The early endorsements from major players indicate Anderson is likely the preferred choice for the area’s GOP political class and could discourage other potential Republicans from jumping into the race, a move that would help Anderson avoid a potentially costly Primary.
So far, just one other candidate is in the race, Democrat Kelly Lynn Johnson. According to the most recent voter tabulation with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, HD 65 carries a nearly 13,000 voter advantage for the GOP, with 52,670 registered Republicans to just 38,172 registered Democrats.
