A.G. Gancarski
A likely future Speaker of the Florida House continued in November his quiet but consistent fundraising for the 2022 cycle, and now has more than $600,000 on hand.
Rep. Sam Garrison of Fleming Island raised $89,500 last month between his political committee Honest Leadership and his campaign account.
The political committee raised $63,000 of the total, which was actually the least productive month for the account since July. The Seminole Tribe contributed $10,000 of that sum, the largest contribution to Honest Leadership in November.
Garrison’s political committee has more than $521,000 on hand, with $427,700 raised in the last four months.
Garrison also raised $26,500 to his campaign account, which was the largest monthly contribution total since he opened it in November of 2020. It continued strong momentum from October, when he raised $19,500.
Political committees related to the health care and pharmaceutical sectors contributed heavily in November, but none of the raised funds came from within Garrison’s current district.
Garrison is expected to be Speaker of the House starting in 2026 if Republicans maintain their current legislative majority and if he is re-elected.
Assuming those metrics are met, he will become Speaker just two years after Rep. Paul Renner of Palm Coast ends his Speakership.
Garrison has represented HD 18 since 2020. He won the General Election with more than 67% of the vote, succeeding former Rep. Travis Cummings, who was himself a powerful legislator.
Both of the maps currently being considered by the Legislative Redistricting Committee in the Florida House would put Garrison in a new HD 11. One map envisions it as a northern Clay County district, while the other envisions it as an eastern Clay County district. In either case, it is unlikely that Garrison would draw serious opposition.
Garrison does face an opponent. Orange Park Democrat Cornelius Jones would be in the new HD 11 also. But he has raised only a little more than $1,400 so far.
