Jacob Ogles
Republican Ralph Massullo picked up endorsements from the entire Citrus County Commission in his campaign for state Senate.
County Commissioners Ronald Kitchen Jr., Ruthie Davis Schlabach, Holly Davis, Jeff Kinnard and Scott Carnahan all offered their support.
“Citrus County is blessed to have Ralph Massullo on the frontlines of the conservative movement in Florida,” Kinnard said. “Whether it’s fighting to keep our streets safe or working with Gov. (Ron) DeSantis to stop the massive federal overreach into our daily lives, Ralph has dedicated himself to standing up for freedom and liberty and I’m proud to support him.”
That’s an important show of strength for the state Representative, who likely will face House colleague Blaise Ingoglia, a former Republican Party of Florida chair, in a GOP Primary next year. Massullo filed as a Senate District 10 candidate last week.
Draft maps released by the Senate Reapportionment Committee show Senate District 10 spanning all of Citrus and Marion counties, a small section of northwest Pasco County and a part of Sumter County. That means Citrus leaders could carry significant influence in a legislative race there.
“Our County Commissioners are great conservative leaders who’ve helped protect the pocketbooks of our residents through lower taxes and kept our community safe by investing in our Sheriff’s Office and deputies,” Massullo said. “I am grateful for their service to our county and for the overwhelming amount of support they’ve shown to our campaign in the first few days.”
In turn, commissioners also praised Massullo as a model legislator deserving a seat in the upper chamber of the Florida Legislature.
“We know Ralph Massullo to be a principled leader who stands up for what is right,” Kitchen said. “His leadership in Tallahassee has helped keep Florida free and protected the economic well-being of millions of Floridians and thousands of small businesses. We’re proud to support him and know that he’ll be a conservative champion in the Florida Senate.”
